Unexpected Sidekick
by rose4u
Summary: A magician is only good as his assistant and Dana knows all the tricks in the business, despite her hatred for magic. Although having a set of skills that any illusionist envies, she prefers to stay backstage, unknown by the crowd. But when her partner needs her, she has to step up her game. Being a sidekick is harder than it sounds.
1. Sandwiches and Spoons

**An OC story. Because I still deny that four bad-ass magicians can do their awesome stunts while designing costumes, painting walls,and stuffing millions of dollars in someone's car.**

**My first ever OC so, please comment!**

**None of the characters in the movie, NOW YOU SEE ME, are mine. I'm not gaining any profit from this story. Thank you.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 1: Sandwiches and Spoons_

* * *

If Dana heard her most favorite professor tell her that she would be helping a handsome con-artist swindle money off of boat passengers one frosty morning, her opinion of her microbiology professor would have dwindled rapidly. The chances that she would even meet a con-artist, a magical con-artist in fact, were as highly impossible as her likelihood of falling into the USS Enterprise and having a threesome with Spock and Captain Kirk. But here she was, shivering in the cold sea wind, hoping desperately for something warm.

"Excuse me," she muttered, accidentally bumping into a man wearing a purplish-bluish hoodie. She really couldn't tell much since her eyesight wasn't that clear this particular day. Well, any day really. It's been ages since she last went to a doctor to get her eyes checked and her eyes were, at least when she was still in high school. But she was digressing. Dana was dragged out of her comfy floor for a reason and she might was well do her job.

Spotting the familiar jet black hair and leather jacket, Dana waited for her friend to climb aboard before ducking past the ticket operator and into the boat. A voice cried out for her to stop but she easily lost herself into the masses and took a seat in the far back.

_Now let's see who we're getting today..._Dana thought scanning the passengers. The guy to her right was totally out of the question, judging by the odor that was coming off his body. Wrinkling her nose, Dana spotted a man with glasses, tapping his fingers anxiously on the boat's edge. _He looks promising._

Dana scrutinized the man for a moment. He was a student, judging by the writing callous on his right hand, and had quite enough money, according to the brand name etched on the side of his glasses. The person she was looking for had to be rich enough to be worth stealing, but poor enough to not have the resources to look for a stolen wallet. He had to be arrogant enough to listen to a stranger, and judging by the man's raised chin and shifty eyes, he was the man Dana was looking for.

Squeezing past the passengers that were slowly taking their places into the boat, she swept into the seat next to the man with a smile.

"I hope this seat isn't taken," she said breathlessly, as if she had run to get here. "I was worried there wouldn't be any seats near the edge left. I get a little sea sick."

The man looked startled at first, but smiled, "Nope. Do you want mine?"

Dana laughed," No worries. I'm sure one seat won't make a difference."

The man spoke, but Dana didn't hear a word as the yellow boat began to move. She scanned the crowds again and saw the glittering eyes of her friend, Jack Wilder, below deck. She smiled at him sweetly before turning back to the man next to her, "I don't suppose you don't have a deck of cards do you? I don't like letting my mind wander for too long."

Dana watched from the corner of her eye as Jack appeared from behind, climbing up the small set of stairs with the cat like gracefulness that she so admired, and picked up a spoon.

She leaned back on her seat and crossed her arms. _Show time. _

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I am THE next great magician," Jack Wilder announced, playing up the theatrics. Dana didn't even bother to roll her eyes this time, hearing this speech more than she particularly wanted to hear. "I will give one hundred dollars to anyone who can tell me how this trick is done."

"Oh. I love a good magic trick," Dana said, her voice speaking above Jack's explanation.

Just as she expected, the guy scoffed, "Sure. If you're a believer of such things."

"You don't believe in it?" Dana asked, as she watched Jack flutter his hands a bit. _Hook._

"Magic is all illusions and tricks. Stupid if you ask me."

"So you know how he did it?" Dana asked, bating the man as she followed the rest of the audience closer to the magician.

"Well-"

"Because I'm sure I'll love to talk about how you debunked the trick over coffee" she said innocently, slipping a silver spoon into the man's back pocket. The curly haired man looked startled, as if he had never been asked out before (and Dana bet that he never had). She turned back to the passengers, feinting interest while biting back a snigger as the audience reacted to the now bent spoon. The man seemed conflicted, but a smug smile fell on his face as he felt the spoon in his pocket. Dana could practically see the cogs turn in his head and she rolled her eyes. Men. How he didn't find suspicious that he had a spoon in his pocket was a mystery to her.

But she didn't complain. If arrogance got her a tuna fish sandwich then by all means.

Dana began clapping along with the crowd and smiled widely as the man beside her rushed up to the front, a smug look on his face. _Line._

Dana watched as Jack shrugged at the man and give him the hundred dollar bill from his pocket, "You've got a very good eye, sir,"

She hoped that there would be more than a hundred in the man's wallet.

She would rather not do this again tomorrow.

She stood up and headed down the stairs towards the exit as she saw Jack's hand twitch. _Sinker. And hopefully a BLT for lunch. _ If she hadn't been looking for the movement, she wouldn't have seen it.

But Dana had seen this particular trick being performed at least a dozen, if so a hundred, times and she had lost any awe she felt for it. Jack, after all, was a master at sleight of hand.

She jumped across the ship and to the deck, nodding cheerfully at the crew. She shivered again as a cold gust of wind blew from the sea but jumped as a warm hand slipped into hers.

"Wha-?"

"Hey Dana," he greeted with his Brooklyn accent, "Come on!"

Before Dana could ask him what was going on, she heard incorrigible shouts coming from behind. She sprang to action, grabbing his hand tightly as the two ran as fast as they could away from the ship docks.

"You got caught again?" Dana hissed, dodging pedestrians, dogs and parrots (don't ask). She didn't dare glance back at the chasers, "It's the fifth time this month! Don't tell me you're slipping."

"Ah, come on Dana," Jack said, his voice a little breathy from the running but still sporting that smug tone, "I know you love this."

"I'd rather not have my innards exposed into the air, thank you very much," she snapped, tugging her ex-best friend into an alleyway. She knew the streets of New York like the back of Jack's hand, which she memorized more than her own.

It wasn't creepy at all, considering the fact that his hands gave her food, or at least the money for her food.

Ok. Maybe a little bit creepy.

Dana stopped running, slipping into a little corner hidden behind a brick wall. Inside, she knew, to be a tunnel that drug dealers often used to get away from the police. She was no drug dealer, but the place had its uses.

"Come on, Potter," she said, tying her hair back into a ponytail using a piece of twine from her pocket. "You owe be a sub sandwich."

"You're not getting anything if you keep calling me that,"

"What, The-Boy-Who-Lived?"

"Dana!" Jack whined, causing her to roll her eyes in exasperation and turning toward him.

"Stop whining you girl," she said, although her eyes sparkled in playfulness. "Now how much did I get for trading my soul to Hades?"

"So overdramatic," Jack Wilder said, ducking a punch aimed for his head. He quickly fished out the man's wallet and counted.

"You do realize that you, not I, are the illusionist of this relationship?" Dana said, placing her hands on her hips.

"That's just creepy coming from yo-wait, what's this?" Jack said, his eyes scrunching up in contemplation.

"What's wrong?" Dana asked, stepping forward in alarm. "Is it-"

Jack brought out a card from the man's wallet, and Dana squinted to see that it was a tarot card. Specifically, the Death card.

"What the he-"

Jack flipped the card between his two fingers, and Dana got a glimpse of a strange looking symbol, an eye, with directions printed on the bottom. She stared at the eye, thinking, when she suddenly gasped in realization.

"Is that-?"

"The Eye," Jack whispered.

And so started Dana's destiny to be a sidekick to the most powerful magician known to step foot in New York City.

She still didn't get to eat her sub sandwich.


	2. First Meetings

**Hello again! Wow! I didn't expect this much feedback from you guys! This is the greatest that I've received and I'm so happy. So, I decided to post up another chapter this week!**

**I'm having trouble remembering the movie's exact script, so bare with me.**

**Disclaimer as usual.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 2:First Meetings_

* * *

"I'm telling you, this is a bad idea," Dana complained, glancing at the suspicious looking apartment building. Her sight was more blurrier than usual, about borderline blind. She blinked her eyes a couple of times, trying to get some eye-juice flowing. The little sleep she managed to get last night due to the anticipation and anxiety she felt wasn't helping matters at all.

"Relax, Dana," Jack said, being his happy-go-lucky self. "What's the worst thing that can happen?"

"Um...I don't know," she snapped, "The tarot card said 'DEATH' on it. Maybe, I'm worried that you will be run down by stalker puppies with rabies in this not-at-all suspicious looking building in front of us?"

Jack looked amused, much to Dana's exasperation, "You of all people know that the Death card doesn't really mean death."

Dana couldn't disagree with that. It was her specialty after all.

She couldn't rely on Jack's magic tricks for all her daily needs. She refused to be dependent on her friend; she was an independent woman-at least that is what she liked to view herself as. She wouldn't dare stoop so low as to ask Jack for money to buy tampons. No way in hell.

So the only magic she would do( because really it isn't magic at all) was to read innocent passerby's fortunes. It wasn't worth much, but it worked. Dana believed that she should be paid more than the amount she usually gets, considering that most of her predictions come true one way or another, but beggars can't be choosers. And Dana was most definitely a beggar.

But _this _was way out of her comfort zone. She needed money, yeah, but not enough to risk Jack's life. Despite Jack's annoying magic tricks, his total lack of social manners, his knack of getting her in all kinds of trouble, and most importantly his weird obsession with that over-the-top, arrogant _prick_ Daniel Atlas (don't get her _started_ on that particular subject), Dana was -dare she say it-fond of Jack.

She didn't what she would do without him.

"I don't see what you're so worried about, anyway," Jack added, climbing up the stairs to the building. "You know all my tricks, you know all my moves, hell you can take on a man twice your size-"

"He had a mechanical leg," Dana pointed out.

"Even if this was a trap of some sort," Jack continued on, ignoring Dana, "We will be able to get out of it. No problem."

"What if-"

Jack twirled around suddenly, causing Dana to flinch. He grabbed her shoulders and gave it a friendly squeeze, "Everything will be alright. You are the most awesom-est friend I'd ever had. And despite all the horrible things I did to you, you're still here, worrying about my safety. And I always protect my family. No matter what." he winked and continued up the stairs.

Dana stood there, gaping at Jack's shaking shoulders. The magician was many things, but Dana often forgot the overprotective streak about him. He was the type of act confident in the face of danger-meaning women. When he started spewing emotional words like that...well it left Dana in a confused state.

Which was probably the reason why he did it in the first place.

"You manipulative _bastard_!" Dana spat as she climbed the stairs as fast as she could, but her legs were no match for Jack's long ones.

She skidded to a halt, staring at the three people crowding around the narrow hallway.

"No way!" Jack said, reaching out his hand for a handshake, "You're Daniel Atlas! I'm a huge fan."

Atlas took Jack's hand while sending eye signals to the other magician, a woman. Dana perceived that they were probably together one time ago. Figures. Magicians were often too full of themselves to have lasting relationships, unless their partners were as egotistical as them.

Like her parents, for example.

Dana quickly doused her thoughts before they ran amuck. _I don't need an added stressor right now._

She scanned the other people, looking for clues as to who they were and what was going on, and managed to totally missed the conversation.

"And you are?" Atlas asked, smiling seductively at her direction. Dana snorted on the inside. _Great, just what I need._

"Just an assistant," Dana said, dismissing his tone. _Bet you never got directed like that, huh?_

"An assistant, huh?" he said, glancing at Jack in a way that just screamed sarcasm.

Dana bristled, before stepping forward, "Yes, and it's not what you are thinking, you arrogant little-"

"Woah, there princess," interrupted the other man in a ridiculous looking hat, "It seems to me that there is some underlying anger inside you for Daniel here. A past ex-boyfriend perhaps? Or one that looks like him?"

_You cannot beat the master at her own game. _Dana laughed, shaking her head. "Wrong. Are you sure you're a mentalist?"

"Now I take offense-"

"Sorry about her," Jack said, discreetly stabbing Dana in the waist. "She's a little tense-"

"More like my mother after her menopau-"

"That's it," Dana shouted, feeling the anger for the man soar. She stomped over to the man and poked him in the chest. "Look here, Mr. I'm-So-Sexy-With-My-Magic-Tricks. I know a lot about you and your nightly obsessions. You're a no good sicko, you know that Mister? You think you're so great and cool and that you can get all the ladies you want with your ultra sexy magic tricks. Well guess what? Some girls do not like strange men tricking them into going to bed with you, you lazy ass. The only person who can do that is Draco Malfoy and you, sir, are no platinum blond, Sex God of Slytherin!"

Daniel took a step back, not quite knowing what to do with the fiery girl stabbing holes into his shirt. Slightly panicked, he glanced at the others for help only to see the three magicians staring at the smallish girl in amusement.

Finally, Jack seemed to take pity on him, since he quickly scooped up Dana's hand and squeezed it tight behind him. Daniel saw the girl, Dana, calm almost instantaneously and he relaxed the muscles he didn't know he was clenching. He straightened his shirt in a huff, only to visibly flinch when he met Dana's still glowering eyes.

"Better?" Jack asked patting the back of Dana's hand, almost like a dog owner would do to his pet.

Dana panted loudly, catching her breath before glaring at Daniel, "Sure. For now."

"I think you and I are going to be good friends," Henley said suddenly, taking Dana's hand from Jack's. "Welcome to the club, whatever this is."

Dana smiled grimly in return, "I'll keep that in mind. Let's just get this over with. What are we doing here outside?"

"Door's locked," Merritt said, pointing his thumb at the entrance in front of him.

"Nothing's ever locked," Jack said stepping forward. Dana rolled her eyes and swiftly pulled out a lock picking device in response to their code. Without anyone noticing, she slid the device in the back pocket of Jack's jeans while moving forward to feign interest at the lock. Jack, in a well rehearsed move, pulled it out "from thin air", and proceeded showing off his talents.

As he worked, Dana felt Daniel's cool voice on her ear, "Sorry,"

Dana sighed, knowing that her anger was a tad overdramatic. She didn't have any qualms on Daniel individually, and she had to admit that it was probably startling to him. He probably didn't even know who she was anyway.

Not that Dana knew Daniel personally. Her parents..._Oh don't go there, girl. Focus on the plan in front of you._

Trying to banish thoughts of her parents from her mind, Dana asked, "You obviously have no idea what I'm angry about, do you?"

After a couple of seconds, Daniel spoke, "Nope."

The door opened just as Daniel cursed out loud, his toes crushed by one lovely assistant named Dana.

Dana's vision cleared slightly and she strode into the room, whistling cheerfully.


	3. Magic

**Hey guys! First of all, I would like to thank all of the people who had reviewed, favorited, followed and to the two guests who commented... HI!**

**This chapter jumps around a bit, mainly because it just felt right to me. I hope you don't get confused. **

**Disclaimer as always.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 3:Magic_

* * *

**One Year Later**

Dana tied her hair in a pony tail furiously, before pointing her finger at the nearest person in black, "You! What the HELL are you doing?"

The poor boy jumped, nearly dropping the glass case that Henley had used in the previous act and stammered, "To-to put this away?"

"Below ground?" she asked, rubbing her temples, "Did you even read today's line up? Don't you know what's down there?"

The boy shook his head, and glanced at his friend who was trailing after him carrying iron shackles. The friend merely gave him a look that told him he was on his own.

No one messed with the assistant Dana, unless they wanted one of their arms chopped off.

"Just store it in the back," Dana managed to say, before ordering, "Well? What are you waiting for? Christmas? Hurry up!"

"You seem to be having fun."

"Ha, fun. Who hired these people anyway?" she asked, turning to Henley, who had walked up behind her.

"You, did," the magician said, her lips twitching in amusement.

"Well I must have been on drugs or something, "Dana snapped, before apologizing, "Sorry Henley. Las Vegas is just not my home base, you know? I'm feeling out of sorts. And with what's at stake..."

Henley nodded, understanding, "I know Dana. I know. But the show's almost done, and all your work as paid off. We have them."

"Not yet," Dana muttered before glaring at her friend, "Which reminds me, what are you doing here? The finale is starting soon!"

"I have a rip in my suit, the magician explained, "I was cutting it a little close tonight."

"That isn't like you," Dana said, bringing out a needle from nowhere(technically her back pocket, but it looked like nowhere).

"Nerves, I guess," Henley replied, watching as Dana got to work. "Sorry. I know you worked hard on these suits."

Dana snorted. Making the suits were the easiest part.

...0.0.0

**A week after the first meeting**

_"I think you're taking this a little too seriously, Dana," Henley commented, leaning against the New York apartment wall. She gazed at the clutter on the floor and back at her friend's form. _

_"Don't you know that costumes are what makes a magician look magical?" Dana retorted, tearing another piece of paper containing costume designs and throwing it in the trashcan. "Where's Jack anyway?"_

_"He has gone to get the sub sandwich he said he owed you," Merritt replied over his book. _

_Dana smiled fondly before shaking his head and going back to work. She had no time for such thoughts, not when she had a show to create._

_The mysterious Eye gave them directions, not blueprints. It gave the Four Horsemen tricks to do, but gave them no way to perform it. _

_It has only been a couple of days, and Dana was already feeling dire hatred for this mysterious organization(technically she had felt hatred for them long before...). But Jack and the others were adamant, and well, she couldn't argue against that._

_"Well, I don't like doing nothing, do you?" Daniel said, clapping his hands before walking over to Dana. He poked her shoulder, earning him a slap on his thigh._

_"But-"_

_"For the last time, no sparkles!"_

* * *

"We will need three volunteers to pick a ball at random..."

Dana counted the number of stairs before stopping. She squeezed in through the seats, excusing herself, before sitting in the empty seat. She smiled awkwardly at the man next to him and said, "Sorry about that."

"No problem," the man said in a French accent.

Dana scanned the crowd, looking for a certain individual. Her eyes were sharper than usual today, probably because she finally had time to get new prescriptions, and she immediately found the African American man sitting in the stands, holding a recording device.

Fingering the communicator in her ear, she ordered, "Confiscate that man's phone, please."

Dana watched as the man pulled out another device from his pocket as soon as the Asian assistant left for his other duties. She wanted to wipe that smug look on his face. But she already anticipated this.

She needed his phone later.

_Why aren't they..._Dana thought before touching her communicator, "Don't forget to talk about the sponsor, guys."

She saw Merritt give a brief nod at her direction, "Before we begin, we would like to thank..."

"Wow that spotlight is bright," she said, turning to the man next to her. The men seemed put off, as if he wanted to watch the show than hear a young American girl blabbering in his ear. "It took me ages to get the money to pay for these seats. My bank hasn't been the nicest to me these years."

"Bank? What bank do you go to?" the man asked, probably just for . Dana could tell he wasn't interested.

She told him and watched as his face lit in recognition, "A coincidence. I also go there."

"Yeah, coincidence," she said, her face looking shocked.

She should win an Oscar after all of this is done.

Now, the man was conditioned fully. A brief Paris trip months ago established the basic mental conditioning the man needed to come to this show tonight. Merritt made sure of it. Dana's job was to make sure he didn't choose any other bank to say tonight, at the big finale.

It was imperative that the specific bank was mentioned.

"Tonight," Daniel's dramatic voice echoed through the dark stadium, making Dana simultaneously grin fondly and roll her eyes, "We are going to rob a bank!"

She did not rob a bank for no reason after all.

* * *

**3 Months After First Meeting**

_"You what?"Jack asked, looking at her in disbelief._

_"I'm going to rob a bank," Dana said, her grin wide as she saw Jack's incredulous face. It wasn't everyday that she stumped the magician and she felt incredible self satisfaction at the job well done._

_"It's obvious that the Paris land has made her insane," Daniel joked, earning a slap from Henley._

_"You do realize darling," Merritt said, "That we are eventually going to do as you just suggested?"_

_"Yeah," Dana said, crossing her arms. _

_Everyone turned silent, waiting for the assistant to elaborate. Dana sighed after a moment and said, "Look. You guys were out all day these last couple of weeks conditioning-" Merritt shot her a glare, "Ok OK. Hypnosis-ing the guy while I was stuck here doing nothing! And as my job as an assistant, it's my duty to get this plan rolling."_

_"By robbing a bank?" Jack asked._

_"By robbing the blueprints of the bank vault! There's a difference."_

_"Frankly, I don't see one," Jack said, crossing his arms._

_Henley continued, "Considering that the Eye gave us the blueprints already."_

_Dana let out a frustrated groan, and pointed out, "Do you know what the colors of the walls are?"_

_"Blue?" Daniel interrupted, causing Dana to throw a pillow at his forehead. By the time they made it to Las Vegas, Dana predicted that Daniel would be in serious chronic pain._

_"No, it's not." she said, "In fact, we don't know what it is because the Eye forgot to mention that detail. Wouldn't the guy be suspicious if he steps into a bank and the walls are glittering purple?"_

_"I told you I was sorry for that!" shouted Daniel._

_"Sorry Dan," Dana said before turning to Jack, "Do you see why I have to do this?"_

_Jack looked unconvinced, as was Henley. Merritt didn't seem to care, one way or the other, but that was just the way he was._

_"I think we should let her do it," said, to Dana's surprise, Daniel Atlas. He stepped forward from his place near the doorway, the usual playful and sarcastic look wiped clear from his face. "She can take care of herself."_

_Dana glanced up at Daniel, suddenly very very shy. When she brought the topic up, she was half scared that they would say no. She was just an assistant after all, even if she technically knew more magic than they did. Emphasis on KNOW. Her argument was based on pure stupidity and stubbornness. She didn't think anyone would say yes. Now that someone did, she really had nothing to say._

_She smiled at him, unsure and slightly anxious. Daniel seemed to catch whatever she was conveying, because she really didn't know, and send a wink in return._

_Smug bastard._

* * *

"OH MY GOD, stand up!" Dana said, pushing the stunned guy off his feet."That's your number!"

Dana stabbed a microphone that was attached to her chair in the French guy's hand. The man, thank his small soul, was too bewildered to notice.

"What is your bank?"

The French guy spoke and Dana smiled, although a little bit grimly.

It spooked her sometimes to see Merritt in action.

* * *

**A month after first meeting**

_"So..."_

_"So..." Dana said, her hands clasped in front of her like a good child. The rest of the Four Horsemen had left to get a bite to eat, leaving her and Merritt, who strangely didn't want any dinner, alone._

_"Who are you...really?" Merritt asked, bending forward._

_Dana snorted, "You tell me."_

_"That's the problem," Merritt said, frustration finally showing in his eyes, "I can't read you, at all. It's...strange. Your emotions, your body position...I feel like I get you and the next moment you counteract it..."_

_Dana shrugged," I know all the tricks."_

_"Are you a mentalist like me?" Merritt asked._

_"No..." she said, shaking her head. "I'm not a magician, like I told you. I'm just an assistant."_

_"Don't give me bull. You're not just an assistant. And if you were, you have to be skilled enough to surpass even me and probably all of us."_

_"No I can't," Dana said. "I can't hypnotize people like you can. I'm just...it's hard to explain."_

_"Try me," Merritt said._

_Usually Dana would say no, saying some sarcastic remark that would deflect the question. But something stopped her. Maybe it was Merritt's age or the fact that he was wearing cowboy boots._

_Or maybe it was that feeling as if he knew and saw much terrible things in the world and somehow, he could understand._

_"Look. I understand things. I understand how each trick works, how each stunt is pulled off. It was ...drilled into me. But I never tried it. I never...did it, you know?"_

_"Then how you deflecting me?"_

_Dana sighed, "Because it's one of the things that I learned that I used..." she looked up, begging the man to understand._

_Slowly, Merritt glanced at her and nodded. He stood up suddenly and patted her on the shoulder before saying, "Want some coffee?"_

_"Sure."_

* * *

The man placed the transporter on his head. Dana watched as he disappeared.

She closed her eyes and smiled.

She waited.

And waited.

"PSTTTTT! Dana!" a voice in her ear shouted, causing her to flinch.

"What?" she answered, glancing at the people around her. Luckily, they were too busy staring at the stage to notice a crazy lady talking to herself.

"Why isn't the money coming?" Daniel asked, his voice hysteric, although a quick glance at the stage showed that Daniel's outer appearance was still set in a smirk.

"According to my calculations, the velocity of the money that will fly into the vent, due to it's angle of elevation-"

"Speak English!" he hissed.

Dana clucked her tongue at the interruption. She waited three seconds.

"Dan-"

"NOW," she said, just as the stage burst with sound, money flying from the vents and to the spectators. She stood up, just like the rest, and watched in awe as the world suddenly turned into a gigantic adult snow globe. Laughing in glee, she jumped up to catch a bill and felt her breath catch in her chest.

Sometimes, magic was _magical._


	4. Be the Smartest Person in the Room

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long delay. I had work and well, no internet access. Good thing that I write stories in my dreams, right? Although, one reason why it took so long is because I tried to make it clear as possible. I know one reader told me that it was kind of confusing. **

**I would like to thank all the people who reviewed and followed/favorited, as always. You guys give me the fuel to work :)**

**Also, there was a guest review that I want to answer: Yes, Dana is mean to techies. As a techie myself, I know how it feels when people get angry at you for no apparent reason. But don't worry about it. No one's perfect, and Dana has a nasty temper at times. Please forgive her.**

**And now for the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, as always.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 4: Be the Smartest Person in the Room_

* * *

Dana usually woke up in stages, and this time was no different. Her heart started beating marginally faster, and she regained her ability to sense sound. The last to return was her mobility, and many mornings began with her paralyzed for seconds, even minutes at a time. She didn't know exactly when this began; if she had to guess, she would probably say during her time with her parents. Sometimes, she would stare at the dilapidated ceiling with paranoia, wondering when the day would come when she wouldn't be able to move, period. But she got used to the feeling and woke up today without much fuss.

The first thing she did was grope for her glasses, not bothering to put on contacts. As the room began to solidify, she sighed and stretched, rubbing her exposed belly and tugging her sleep tank top back down. Dana stood up and began her morning routine. Putting on some jeans and a jacket over her tank top, she passed through the doorway and down the stairs to the living room area, where Jack, Daniel and Merritt were already waiting.

"Good morning," Dana yawned, patting Merritt's shoulder like she did every morning as she passed the couch. "What's for breakfast?"

Daniel looked up from his coffee and pointed his thumb at Jack, who was busy cooking something, "Eggs, I think."

Dana rolled her eyes as she slid next to him, "No. What is MY breakfast?"

Before Daniel could retort, Jack slid a plate of with an egg and bacon sandwich to Dana.

"Thanks," she said before taking a bite.

Daniel wrinkled his nose, "Do you eat anything besides sandwiches?"

"Of course!" Dana said, swallowing loudly and wiping her mouth with her hand.

"Like what?" Daniel asked, reaching over to grab a piece of toast.

"Burgers," Dana answered, before her mouth was filled with her breakfast. "Dooommmphh hampmnhve a prommpgble withmmbb thhnaaat?"

"I'm sorry, I don't speak egg muffin," Daniel said, earning him a glare. There was something satisfying about making the teen girl glare early in the morning.

"It's not an egg muffin," Jack said, sliding between them with his own plate of food, "Sandwich, there's a difference." He knew by now not to mess with Dana and her sandwiches. In fact, it was a quirk that he found endearing.

"Same thing," Daniel waved off, sipping his coffee. "Anyway, how was yesterday's show? I heard that you had a spat with some of the technicians."

Dana blushed, "I might have been a little too harsh."

"A little?" Daniel asked, raising an eyebrow, "I could hear you cursing through our headset. Really bothered the magic out of me. I was in the middle of a shuffle. What if I lost all my cards? Huh?"

Jack rolled his eyes, "Don't worry about him. It wasn't that loud."

"Sure it wasn't." Daniel said in a tone that clearly suggested the opposite, "Anyway, why the temper?"

"I was a little stressed, alright?" Dana emphasized, running her hands through her head. "It was those two idiots. You know, the ones that came late to the debriefing the other day?"

"I don't think arriving the next day counts as 'late'," Jack mentioned, reaching for some jam.

"Whatever. Let's stop talking about that boring subject. Let's talk about," Daniel paused dramatically. "the show! The finale! Awe inspiring huh?"

Dana scoffed, "Yeah. Sure. It was fantastic."

"Tressler certainly thought so," Daniel said, playing with his fork.

Dana paused. Of course she thought it was awe-inspiring. But she couldn't literally say it out loud, much less admit it to Daniel Atlas. Or even Jack. So what if she found one trick in one show pretty cool? It was a onetime thing and she would not be feeling anything other than dire hatred for magic in the future.

Right?

"You know I despise magic," she said, spearing the fall out from her sandwich with a fork.

"And yet you are working with four magicians,"

"Keep your enemies close...," Dana quoted before pushing herself off the chair. "Hey Merritt, want breakfast?"

"It's been a year, sweetheart," Merritt answered from the sofa, his head buried in a book, "You should be able to realize that I don't eat breakfast."

"Can't hurt a girl from trying," Dana shrugged her shoulders. "Someone has to keep you alive."

"You're not getting off that easily," Daniel said, standing up as well. "What's your motive for being here, if you hate magic that much. You either have a thing for Jack or ME..." Daniel wiggled his eyebrows, "Or you just can't do magic. I mean, why else would you hate magic? No one hates magic."

"I don't have a thing for Jack," Dana said, crossing her arms, "Or you."

"So you can't do magic." Daniel said, grinning, "Oh Dana. You shouldn't hate it because you can't do it."

"Oh, here we go," Jack muttered, standing up as well, clearing the plates, and additionally standing away from the fight that was about to ensue.

"What is THAT supposed to mean?"

"It means," Daniel said, taunting her. " You just don't have the talent to be here girl. You didn't even get a tarot card."

Dana was beyond mad. What did this guy know? He knew nothing about her, so why did he just assume? One thing that Dana had, was pride. It was bad, she knew, but she couldn't help it.

"I can do magic."

"Show me then." Daniel said, smug at his accomplishment. He finally got Dana to break and show them that she could do magic. Daniel wasn't stupid. He knew, a gut feeling maybe, that Dana could do magic. Even if it was something small, there was no way that this teenager couldn't do it.

She wouldn't be here otherwise.

After a moment's pause, Dana finally agreed, "Fine," and stomped toward the living room table.

Daniel sauntered over to her, shooting a smug smirk at Jack. Jack, on the other hand, was very surprised. Never in all his years of being Dana's friend, did he ever persuade Dana to do magic. Sleight of hand, briefly, tarot cards, often, but never pick-a-card-any-card magic. And yet, here was Daniel Atlas, his idol, who barely even met Dana for a year, doing something that even Jack couldn't do.

Scowling, Jack also walked to the living room and sat down on the sofa, ignoring Merritt's feet. The older magician was still reading his book, but Jack noticed the lack of page turning.

Damn bastard was interested too.

"Here's a pack of regular playing cards," Dana began, shuffling Daniel's cards. "These are regular ones, not the crap that Danny uses for his tricks."

"Hey!" said the person being addressed, causing Jack to snicker. "I do n-"

"So that seven of spades was supposed to be slightly larger than the others?" Jack asked.

"Um...well-"

"Anyway, I'm going to spread the cards out on the table," Dana said, doing the action as she spoke, "And I want you, Daniel Atlas, to pick a random card."

Daniel grinned teasingly, much like an older brother would do to his younger when listening to the difficult test the elementary schooler had to take, and took one. He glanced at it and nodded.

"Don't show it to me, but show it to the audience." Dana said, clasping her hands around her eyes. "I won't peek."

"I believe you won't," Jack said, smiling at her antics.

"I know that," she hissed, still covering half of her face. "Done?"

"Yeah," Daniel said, after showing Jack and tilting the card a little toward Merritt, knowing better to acknowledge their mentalist's interests.

"Ok. Now put the card back in the deck, ON THE TOP...ARE YOU TRYING TO MESS ME UP...ok and now I will shuffle the deck."

The three male magicians watched amusingly as Dana tried to shuffle the deck using the bridge method. She clumsily divided the cards, dropping a few in the process before performing a bridge in the upmost concentration.

Daniel coughed. It was cute, in a way.

Dana shot a glare at him, and Daniel dropped his smile and tried to place one of total seriousness. Dana looked at him suspiciously before returning back to his cards.

"And now that I've shuffled them, I'm going to slowly place the cards down on the table," Dana said, doing just that. "If you see your card, do not say anything."

"Alright," Daniel said, watching the table as it slowly got piled on with cards. After a couple of seconds, Jack and Daniel suddenly saw their card lying in the heap on the table. They said nothing and watched as Dana piled on a few more cards before stopping.

She looked at the small deck in her hands and said, "The next card I flip is going to be your card."

Jack couldn't take it anymore. Wincing, he let out, "Sorry Dana. The card we picked is already on the desk."

In one motion, Dana gathered all the cards on the table into her hand, combing it with the deck already in her hand, and threw it at the glass window beside them. The cards hit the glass and exploded onto the carpet, covering the floor with cards.

"Well thanks for telling me," Dana said, slamming the table in sudden frustration. "That was part of the trick you know. I already knew that, and now you ruined it."

Jack waved his arms, alarmed, "Oh. I didn't...I mean..."

"Nice try, right kid," Daniel said, standing up as well. "You might have made a sleight of hand error towards the end. Maybe you should practice shuffling..."

"It was going fine," Dana said, glaring at the pieces on the floor, "You shouldn't have said anything. It was going perfectly."

"Uh huh," Daniel said, not looking convinced. Jack wasn't as well, but he already felt guilty at the angry look on Dana's face. He turned to Merritt for help, but all he saw was the cover of the book.

"Hey, did I hear a slam?" asked an airy voice for the top of the stairs. Jack looked up to see Henley arrive, putting on a jacket as she walked.

Suddenly the door slammed open, followed by a crowd of policemen, "Put your hands where we can see them!"

Dana, Daniel and Jack raised their hands, glancing at each other in amusement. Merritt didn't even bother to stand up and Henley was doing her best not to look relaxed.

Daniel wasn't even trying at all and in fact wasn't even bothering to look compliant as he started shooting offhand remarks at the cops handcuffing him. Dana wasn't shooting glares at Daniel for a change and was instead staring with a weird concentration at the man at the head of the team, a man with unruly hair and a beard.

He will ask about the look later.

Jack was tackled onto the table they were just sitting around, his face pressed up against the glass. He smiled inwardly as he felt the smooth feeling of handcuffs around his wrist. _That brings back memories, _Jack thought as he glanced at the table. His eyes flickered upwards, trying to see the others but something in the window caught his eye.

Jack's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw a lone playing card on the window. Strangely the card wasn't stuck on his side but _outside, _the other side of the window.

The five of spades, the card that Daniel showed him during Dana's trick, stared back at him.

* * *

Dana sighed loudly, leaning back on the chair of the bluish-gray interrogation room. She could hear practically nothing from outside, and oh, she tried. Not that she was worried.

Nope.

Despite her so called life in crime, Dana was never truly arrested. Handcuffed, yeah. Chased by policemen, occasionally. But cops never got close enough for them to actually stick her in this room.

But it a little terrifying.

Dana jumped as the door slammed open, bringing a loudly cursing scruffy-and handsome-looking man in a shirt and tie. She glanced at him for a few seconds, instantaneously knowing what happened to get him so peeved.

"Let's just get this over with, I don't have the patience for it," he claimed, sitting down in front of her.

Dana's lips twitched in amusement, "Went to see Atlas, I presume."

The man muttered in outrage, rubbing his wrists absentmindedly. The woman that entered with him, a blonde French lady, answered, shook her head but remained silent.

"How do you know that?" he asked, before sarcastically saying, "Wait. Let me guess, MAGIC."

Dana shook her head, "Not magic, I'm afraid. But if you're into that sort of thing, you can always go back to Atlas. He'll be very glad to assist yo-"

"I do NOT have time to play games!" the man shouted, pounding the table. The french woman immedietly started whispering at him, telling him to calm down.

"I will NOT calm down," he said, before turning to Dana. Dana responded by putting her hands up, well as much as she could considering that they were shackled to the table.

"Woah. Calm down Incredible Hulk. What's up with you?"

The man paused, before asking incredulously, "Did you just call me the Incredible Hulk?"

Dana tilted her head, "I don't know, did I?"

The man grumbled in annoyance and the French lady took charge, "I think it is our job to ask the questions. What is your part in all of this?"

Dana scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion, "In all of what?"

"Don't bulls-"

"Mr. Rhodes!" she said, and Dana smirked. Now she had a name to a face.

"Yes, Mr. Rhodes," she mocked, "Finish the sentence, why don't you."

"How about we start with yours," he replied back, "What is your part in all the act. Are you the fifth horsemen?"

Dana shuddered, "Is that what they are calling me nowadays, the fifth horsemen? That's cliche isn't it? I mean, has anyone done their research? There is no such thing as the 'fifth' horsemen. There's only supposed to be Four. You know, the four horesmen of the apocalypse: conquest, war, famine, death."

Rhodes blinked, staring at the suddenly talkative Dana. Gaining composure, he ventured cautiously, "So that's what you do. Research?"

"Some," Dana snorted, "If that's what you call it. You can call me an assistant, of sorts."

"An assistant, like a wearing short skirts, skinny as hell girl-"

"Tell me Mr. Rhodes," she interrupted, leaning forward a bit, "Do I look like that kind of girl?"

Rhodes stared back, his glare kind of overwhelming, "You talk a lot more than any of the other magicians I interrogated."

Dana shrugged, leaning back into her chair, "Yeah. Well, I'm not a magician."

"No, but your parents were," the French lady said, stepping up to the plate. She took out a white manila folder, and put it on the desk. Dana saw her face stapled on the first page, along with her information.

"You have a record of me in there?" Dana asked surprised.

"Yes, you seem to be quite well known in the New York police department, Miss Zancig."

Dana winced at her last name being mentioned, "Actually it's Downs,"

"There's no mention of last name changes in the records," Agent Dray answered, frowning.

"Yeah, well, I didn't have time to get it done 'officially'," Dana said, making quotation marks with her fingers.

"Yes, well, until that's done, you are still Dana Zancig, age 19. You're parents were Jesse and Andy Zancig, both magicians. They were very popular in the 80's until their illusions were debunked by Thaddeus Bradley-"

Dana stopped paying attention and glanced up, confused and intrigued. She saw it. It was faint but she saw it.

Dylan Rhodes twitched at Bradley's name.

She stared again, trying to find the twitch but it was gone. Masked. She couldn't find it, which bothered her, because she usually found everything. No, this man wasn't an ordinary man.

She wondered if anyone else noticed.

"Your parents were gone from the public eye after that until, they returned with a new show. Apparently, it was one of the biggest comebacks of the century," the agent continued, "It says here that you were born a few years after."

Seeing Dana nod, the woman continued," At the age of thirteen, you were-" she glanced up in surprise. "Is this correct?"

Dana smiled condescendingly, "Well, I don't know until you tell me, agent."

"It says here that you attended Johns Hopkins University at age thirteen."

Rhodes lifted an eyebrow, glancing at her. Dana shrugged, "Yeah, about right."

"And it says that you dropped out a year later,"

"What can I say?" Dana said, trying hard to remain cool. She didn't anticipate them bringing up her past. It was a touchy experience to talk about, "It was too stuffy there."

"Your drop out day is the same as the day your parents died in a car accident."

Caught, Dana managed to grin, despite feeling as if she was punched in the gut, and shrug her shoulders, "Dunno about that." She tilted her head and said, "Are we done here? Look, lady, I appreciate you helping me remember my info but I think my time here is done."

"You can't leave yet," Rhodes said, suddenly speaking after a bout of silence.

"Actually, I can," Dana said, swiftly standing up. Rhodes quickly stood up as well, reaching his hand toward his gun. "Relax, I'm not going to try to escape."

"Not going to throw the 'smartest guy in the room' crap at me?"he asked, one eye quirked.

Dana smiled. She liked this guy. He was funny, in his own way, "Did Atlas say that? Did he tell you that the 'closer you look-"

"The less you actually see, yeah yeah," Rhodes finished, smiling.

Dana shook his head," You know he said the exact same thing to me when I first met him."

"Oh really," he actually looked interested. The French woman was looking at the pair in amusement.

"Yup. He told me that and I was like 'of course you idiot, I'm farsighted!' and that was the end up that," Dana said, before hitting her fists down on the table, causing her handcuffs to fall out. "See, I didn't try to escape. Just hurt my wrists a bit,"

"How did you-"

Dana grinned widely as she reached the door knob. She opened the door and turned to look at the pair, specifically Dylan Rhodes, and winked.

"You fell right into this one...Magic, of course."


	5. For the Best

**Hello hello again. Folks! I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but this chapter was a little bit hard for me to write. I felt that it was difficult to make it _convincing_ and the characters realistic. Well, I hope I did ok. Let me know?**

**Disclaimer as always.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 5: For the Best_

* * *

Dana quickly ducked into a black car as soon as she escaped the police station. Well, escape was a mildly used term. How about, escorted out by three pissed off policemen? She knew she shouldn't have ratted out those two looking at fanfiction, but her big mouth often ran on autopilot. One thing she learned in her life as a teenager was that she should never talk about fanfiction in public.

It just wasn't done.

Taking a deep breath for no apparent reason, she managed to sit down in the vehicle just as the car swerved to the left, causing her whole body to slam into the next passenger which just happened to be Danny.

Which was strange, considering that Jack always, ALWAYS, sat in the middle to sit next to her. Even after a year, he didn't trust Daniel Atlas to sit next to his best assistant._ Daniel must have been insistent._

Cursing colorfully, she managed to upright herself, before screaming, "What kind of driving is that, Merritt?"

"Sorry, Princess," he said, not sounding sorry at all, "But we are in a little hurry. Airplane leaves in 20 minutes. What took you so long?"

Clicking on her seatbelt, Dana made a rude gesture at Daniel, who was looking very smug at the prospect of her face being on his lap, and said, "Yeah, well. They were pretty angry after someone," she directed it to the guy next to her, "used the 'closer you look' crap, after I specifically told him NOT to..."

"Hey, it's a classic!" Daniel pointed out.

"It drives people insane," Henley answered from the front seat, smiling back at Dana. "Had fun with the cops, Dana?"

"Loads," she said dryly, while Daniel shouted.

"It's _cool_, " he said, fiddling with a deck of cards.

"You're definition of 'cool' is not standard, Daniel," Henley replied back, before smiling sweetly to the driver, "Right, Merritt."

Dana watched, amused, as Daniel scowled at Henley's and Merritt's close interaction. He crossed his arms together and pouted, making Dana hold back a snicker. _Ah, jealousy. Good times._

"What?" he asked, a little venomously.

"Nothing," she said, stifling the sounds coming out of her mouth, "Isn't that right, Jack?"

Dana frowned when Jack didn't answer. In fact, he was being uncharacteristically silent throughout the drive, and that usually meant trouble. A silent Jack either meant a angsty Jack or a brooding Jack. Neither bode well to her mentality. Worried, Dana filled in the silence, "Yeah...er...right...Oh Danny Boy, you have the cell?"

Daniel glared, "I told you to stop calling me that," and fished out a cell phone from his back pocket.

Dylan Rhodes's cell phone to be exact.

"Thank you," Dana said, before quickly pulling a long connecting cable from the storage compartment in the backseat. "Now we just have to download all his information into the phone you gave him, and no one will be the wiser."

Dana bit her lip, working quickly. She had to admit that her techie skills weren't the best, a major reason why she called herself an 'assistant' rather than a technician, but she knew a few tricks. Other abilities, such as creating fake IDs, hacking into local city banks for some extra cash, and downloading movies illegally, were also up her sleeve.

But this, was a whole new level. She hate to say it, but she really had no idea what she was doing and was mainly following the instructions the so called "Eye" gave her. She had been hesitant doing this, considering that she remembered a friend who once hacked into government websites and got sentenced by the age of 14, but she decided to trust this mysterious "Eye".

Okay, so not really trust. In fact, she didn't trust them at all. But she did "trust" that their goal, whatever the goal may be, was more important than arresting one little teenager from New York.

"Speaking of Rhodes," Dana said, while working on the gadget, "Did anyone notice anything strange about him?"

"You mean the fact that he clearly has no idea what he is doing?" Daniel snorted, slapping his knees with his hand. "I made him so riled up; it was hilarious."

"I saw," Dana said dryly, "Merritt?"

Out of the four magicians, Dana hated to admit it but she preferred the opinion of Merritt. It wasn't that he was the most loyal or trustworthy, heck he was the opposite. But Dana felt sort of an admiration for the almost bald man, something she didn't usually just throw away to anyone. Merritt, despite being sarcastic(that was putting it lightly), was wiser than she or any other magician.

She did feel a tad bit guilty whenever she longed for his opinion. She was, after all, Jack's assistant through and through, a magician that was currently adopting Harry Potter's fifth year tactic.

"Nothing specifically different," Merritt answered, keeping his eyes on the road, "He had daddy issues, that's for sure."

"Really?" Dana asked, wrinkling her lips in contemplation, "Huh. Didn't see that."

"Well, Princess, you just haven't reached the skill level of a master mentalist. Don't worry, you'll catch up."

Dana smiled at the tease, remembering thinking that exact phrase a year ago, and shook her head, "Of course, of course."

"By the way," Henley asked, turning to look at her, "Is there any possibility that you can hack into Tressler's bank account?"

Dana frowned, "I thought that was Daniel's job?"

Daniel shrugged, his broad shoulders brushing against mine, "Yeah. Well I had a little difficulty digging up his records. I couldn't find any information about his security questions."

"That's strange." Dana said, "You would think that someone as famous as him would have _some_ record of his first pet's name..."

Henley sighed, running her gloved hands through her perfect hair, "What are we going to do now?"

This was a problem. Dana overlooked a small detail in the plan and she felt really stupid for it. She was mentally smacking herself in the head in shame. She thought she looked at everything! She ordered the gigantic flashlight for god's sakes! There were times when she wondered if the so called "Eye" was as powerful as people claimed.

According to Dana, any person who forgot to give directions on how to break into someone's bank accounts when ordering to...break into someone's bank accounts, wasn't considered omnipotent.

Ever.

Suddenly Merritt braked, causing the car to jerk forward into incredible speeds. Dana grasped her seatbelt tight, keeping one hand firmly on the cell phone she was hacking.

"I have an idea," he said, looking back toward the trio sitting in the back. His eyes had a twinkle in them, the kind one would find in the winner of a poker game. "And involves your favorite, Danny boy. Being an overly pompous ass."

Dana smiled, half listening to the plan. After all, it wasn't her duty. She had more important stuff on her plate and she trusted the four horsemen to get the information correctly.

Suddenly, her pocket bleeped the Kim Possible tone, signaling a text message. Believing it to be one of the rogue technicians from New Orleans, she sighed and pulled it out to read. _I swear if they misplaced the white bunny I am going to Crucio the-_It was from Jack.

_We need to talk._

* * *

Dana was the type to avoid situations that she didn't feel comfortable with. For example, she ditched college because she didn't feel comfortable with the fact that her face and her parent's legacy was splattered onto the newspapers for days. She didn't watch _Captain America _or the season finale of Supernatural because she was told that the feelings were too much to bare. She avoided doing magic as much as possible, knowing that doing so will cause too much attention to come to her when all she wanted was to curl up into a little ball and live her life as a no one.

She had been doing good so far. Yup. She hadn't done magic since she was 13.

Unfortunately for her, she also had a tiny issue with pride.

Meaning that she had an unhealthy amount of it. It got her to quit college, it got her to learn magic. And unfortunately, it got her in this mess.

Dana stumbled out of the black magician filled car as fast as she could before running to the back and jerking out her small luggage case from the trunk. Luckily, most of her equipment _Jack's equipment_ were sent early to the airport, leaving her with just her personal belongings to carry.

Dana moved out of the way quickly as Daniel began to unload seven luggage cases, followed by Henley's five and Merritt's two. Jack didn't have any, as always, and stood by with his hands in his leather jacket, watching Dana with a critical eye.

"I'm going to check mine in," Dana said quickly, lifting her luggage off the ground for emphasis. The tension in the air was thick, and she was afraid to look at Jack. With her eyes trailed to the ground, she tried her best to keep her voice steady and her face clear, "Um...bye."

With the dexterity of a panda, she quickly u-turned and entered the airport, not bothering to look back at her friends.

_Just breathe. You just have to get to your seat and Jack won't bother you again. GAH! I shouldn't have done that magic trick! I should have just left the card where it was instead of being STUPID and-_

"Dana, wait."

Hearing the familiar voice, Dana cringed and walked faster. Dana began another string of mantras, asking herself why she suddenly lost her ability to control her demeanor. Maybe it was the lost of practice; ever since she was brought into this little 'show', she finally had friends to rely on. Even Daniel was someone that Dana knew wouldn't hunt her down or use her for his purposes, whatever they might be. Dana was a little paranoid, but she had ever right to be. Ever since she was able to walk, she had to constantly control herself. She couldn't show fear. She had to observe, watch for other fears and counter her own. She had to manipulate her surroundings, the people and herself to fit her parents' needs.

Even on the streets, she had to use the ability constantly. Watch the others, look for the weakest link, exploit and repeat.

Even now, in this dangerous game, she felt the most safest she had ever felt.

"Dana!" Jack, curse his long legs, managed to catch up to her quickly and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a closet that just happened to be there.

_What are the odds. _Dana thought, staring at the door shut. She could feel Jack's breathing from behind her, but she was determined not to look. No, she couldn't.

There was only so much she could do.

"Dana, we need to talk."

"I gathered," Dana said, still staring at the door. "What I don't understand is why you brought me into a broom closet. Thinking about wooing me before the flight?"_That's fine. Use sarcasm. Throw him off. Defense Mechanism 101 in the finest._

"I needed to talk to you, alone," he said, his voice only a whisper.

Breathing in courage and failing, Dana turned around a faced her best friend, "So. I'm here, what do you want?"

_Are you going to hate me?_

"That trick," he said quickly, getting to the point. Dana schooled her emotions as quick as possible, trying to stop her body from reacting.

"What trick?" she inquired, even adding a hint of curiosity into her eyes. _Beat that Merritt!_

"Don't play the Occlumency crap on me," Jack said scowling, "I know all your tricks. You know what I'm talking about."

Dana couldn't help but gasp at his words. It wasn't the language that really bothered her but the tone of his voice. It was sharp, accusatory, and angry.

She never heard him like this before.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dana tried again, this time desperation bleeding into her voice. _Please ignore it! Just stop talking about it. You don't know what Pandora's box you'll open if you-_

Jack suddenly grabbed Dana's wrists, slamming them into the opposite wall. Dana's breath hitched in fright as Jack pinned her, trapping her. She immediately fought, struggling to break out of his iron grip. Her strength would have surprised any other person, but this was Jack. Her best friend. She could fight all she wanted but the magician was stronger; he knew just how strong Dana was, after all she was _his _assistant.

He knew her more than he knew himself.

"Let. Me. Go!" she struggled, her fright finally appearing on her face._ What the hell? This isn't normal. This isn't regular. This is Jack! His behavior patterns aren't supposed to-_

Jack's face remained bitter as he ordered, "Tell me how you did it."

"No!"

"Tell me NOW!"Jack said, slamming her wrists into the wall with emphasis. Dana whimpered in pain, wondering how she never seen this side of Jack's personality. Why she never _prepared._

It was like her father, all over again.

"Jack, you're hurting me," she managed to say, swallowing her pride. Her friend wasn't her friend anymore. No, he was a different person and all because _she didn't reveal her magic trick_.

As if breaking out of a hypnosis induced state, Jack stepped back as quickly as he pinned her to the wall. His face went through many stages of emotion, too fast for Dana to calculate. He finally settled on one that looked like he had been slapped and he glanced at his hands in amazement.

Dana gasped, drinking in the stuffy air_( It's still air)_, and flattened her back closer to the wall like a frightened squirrel. She winced at the bruises appearing at her wrist and glared tear filled eyes at her ex best friend.

"Yes, they're your hands." she shot out, breaking Jack's gaze. He looked at her in horror, before his eyes trailed down to her damaged wrists.

"Dana-"

"Don't," she cut off, straightening up, "Don't even say a word."

"But-"

Turning her back onto friend she whispered, "You promised. You promised me a year ago that you would always protect me, your family. Why? Is the greed of magic that strong that you ignore your own vows? So what if I had a trick up my sleeves? Did you honestly think I was a pet of yours, a girl who didn't know anything about magic? Someone to laugh at?"

Dana rubbed the tears from her eyes in defiance and opened the door, "You asked me. You asked me a bunch of times why I hate magic. Well here's your answer. This. Greed. This is why."

Dana walked away, leaving Jack behind. Ignoring the eyes of other passengers, she angrily tugged on her hoodie and strode forward, trying to look confident when she was crumbling inside. She glanced up at the blinking signs and saw her airplane leaving in five minutes. She moved toward the terminal, but she felt a soft pair of fingers soothing over her hurt wrists.

"Dana! Where are you going?" Daniel asked, his bright smile the opposite of Jack's dark looks that swarm her vision. "The first class is that way."

Dana stared at the fingers encircling her wrists in silence. He was so different. In this very moment, Dana wanted nothing more than throw herself at Daniel's coat and cry. She wanted his quick and controlled arms to wrap around her, give her his strength. And she had only known him for a year, and this sudden contrast between Jack and Daniel was so startling that it made her tremble. What was happening? Her opinion of Jack, her adoration and awe, was crumbling in its foundation and Dana felt sick that Daniel's face brought a pang of safety and warmth.

She had thought she was more stronger than an average girl. How could she betray her friend like that? How could her mind suddenly place feelings of safety not with her long time best friend but with Daniel?

_It's not your fault. _A small voice whispered in her head. _It's Jack's. You saw him. He hurt you! You shouldn't be feeling guilty. It's HIS fault._

Dana nodded silently, more to herself than anyone else. She reached over and squeezed her left wrist, as if reminding herself of the pain, of Jack's betrayal. Daniel's smile began to fade, and he followed her line of vision to see her injuries.

"Who did this?" he asked, suddenly angry. The owner of the Lover's card, the man who never cared much about anyone other than himself, suddenly felt a rush of protectiveness toward the little girl in front of him. "Tell me who it was so I can smack-"

Dana wretched her wrists away and snarled, "Why do you care? Anyway, I have to get on the plane. I'm not in first class with you guys; I'm in the lower decks. Unlike you, Tressler didn't invite me on his private jet and I only managed to get on with the crew. I think I'll be serving beverages?"

Yes, it was best if she distanced herself with Daniel as well. Judging by the fact that she suddenly hero worshiped the guy, it showed her complete lack of control. Her mental state was in shambles probably, and she needed time to build it back up. Jack, Daniel, they were all the same.

They were men, and men are always the same.

Magicians. Male Magicians are even more similar.

Daniel reached out, "I had no idea. Wait, Dana-"

"Look, I have to go." Dana said, suddenly smiling a little warily, getting her bearings and her scrambled thoughts in somewhat order, "I'm just tired I guess. I'll see you in a couple of hours. You have a job to do with Tressler so don't mess up. See you soon."

She left Daniel Atlas in the terminal, his arms outstretched and a look of surprise etched onto his face.

_It was for the best._


	6. Conversations and Meetings

**Hey readers! Sorry for the long wait! With homework and studying and jobs, I'm a little busy at the moment. Also, I'm practicing how to drive :) I'm probably going to take the test some time this month. Anyway, thanks to all that commented and followed. Also, does anyone know of a beta I can ask for? **

**I hope you like this chapter. I personally think it's a little iffy. The action will occur in New Orleans!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 6: Conversations and Meetings_

* * *

Jack Wilder wasn't afraid to say that he had a messed up life. Born to a poor family in Brooklyn, he had to make a name for himself early in his life, without the help of his parents (if you could call them that).

Which was hard, he realized, since his name was Jack.

Ever since he was a little boy, watching the other kids play with video games and yo-yos while he nursed his "mysterious" bruises in his spare time, Jack dreamed of living up to his namesake. Because everyone named Jack was awesome. It was just a fact in life.

He wanted to be like Captain Jack Sparrow, or Jack from Titanic(he never caught his last name), Jack Napier( that man affected him the most despite being an evil clown), Jack Frost( a recent one he learned after being forced to watch the animation with Dana one day) and even Jack the Ripper. No matter what they did, they had a reputation of being fearless and charismatic and awe-inspiring.

And he was just Jack Wilder.

Maybe that's why he was so keen on being the best. After running away from his parents' place, he quickly made three rules from himself. Number one, always be the nice guy. Jack's had nice manners and was loved by society. Number two, don't steal from someone who actually needs the money because that was just crossing a line. And number three, live up to the name Jack.

The Nice Guy. Yeah right.

Because Jack wasn't always so nice. He had a temper, fostered from years of child abuse and neglect and rage that he bottled up and kept in a slow cooker for many years. He had a firm grasp on his control most of the time (he had to, because who likes a scowling magician?), but his temper often appeared when he was angry or scared.

And Jack was afraid.

Because Jack had a mission, to never be neglected again. And in the back of his mind he believed that being the best magician in the world was going to prevent that. And when he saw that trick, a trick he had never seen _anywhere_ in his years of studying magic, something _broke_ within him. A sense of hopelessness filled him and quickly turned to rage. He HAD to know how Dana did it. It wasn't just a curiosity but a NEED, vital to his survival and imperative to his soul.

"Doing that isn't _that _difficult," Daniel's smug voice pierced through the air as he headed toward Tressler on the plane. He quickly explained the gist of Merritt's so-called tricks and proceeded trying to figure out Tressler's account information.

Jack didn't pay much attention to the proceedings and closed his eyes, his hands turning into fists. He could vaguely hear the other's careful laughter at Daniel's over the top brilliance, but he just didn't care.

His temper was always his weakest point, and his greed, as Dana mentioned, was overwhelming.

And it made him almost lose his best friend.

The key word was almost. He still had a chance to fix the mess he created.

Because he wasn't just a Jack. He was Jack Wilder, magician extraordinaire and most importantly, Dana Down's protector.

* * *

"Stupid Jack," Dana muttered as she vainly tried to pull down the short skirt that she stole to get on the plane. Apparently, every female server on Tressler's private jet had to be either a cheerleader or Kim Possible. And there was no way that she was going to show her midriff. Nu uh.

"Stupid skirt, stupid plane, stupid show, stupid MAGIC, stupid, stupid, stupid," she mumbled, causing some of the other girls look at her. Dana glared at them, causing the girls to twitter and look away, and sighed.

She felt guilty for her outburst already, because it wasn't in her nature to be mad at Jack for long.

It was Jack, after all.

And that's what made her angry, the fact that the men in her life had the power to just evaporate her anger. She couldn't even stay mad at Daniel for long anymore. It was their, she hate to admit it, devilishly handsome looks that got her in the end. "Stupid BOYS!"

"I agree completely," entered a rogue voice, one that caused the multiple of girls in the room to start chattering like preadolescent Beliebers. "Boys are idiots. Luckily, I am not one."

Dana snorted, "Then what are you?"

Merritt lifted an eyebrow and said very seriously, "Princess, I'm a MAN," before taking a seat next to her. "And men take care of their women. Now tell the professional all your problems and we'll fix your sorrows up by morning." He sat next to her, not bothering to ask if the seat was taken and waited.

Dana shifted uncomfortably at Merritt's scrutinizing gaze, guessing what flaws in her demeanor he was cataloging, "Have you been watching Dr. Phil lately, Merritt?"

"Ah Ha! You're deflecting, honey," he said, tapping his temple, "Come on, you can do better than that. My brain is ready."

Dana crossed her arms, "I don't feel like playing your mind games today."

"Good," Merritt said, turning toward her, "Because I'm not playin'. What is wrong, sweety? Something's on your mind."

"Since when did you care?" Dana asked, focusing on her gaze at the women seated in front of them, who were all straining to listen in on their conversation.

"Well, my darling Princess," Merritt said, "In case you didn't know yet, I care a lot for my women."

"And I'm 'your woman'?" she asked, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"Yes."

"Look, do we really have to have this conversation here?" Dana stressed, glancing at the pairs of eyes and ears around the room.

"Nu uh. You are not getting off that easily," Merritt suddenly said, "Bullshit."

Dana rolled her eyes as the every single one of the women stood up and began playing various instruments in the air. Most people would have stared in awe at the feat, but Dana wasn't most people.

Plus, she's seen it a bunch of times. Been a victim in others. Merritt constantly mentioned it during dinner.

"When did you have the time to do that?" she asked nonchalantly, despite feeling the exact opposite.

Merritt waved his hands, "It's not important. Look Kit-Kat, I've got one scowling ball of Atlas and one angsty teenager sulking upstairs. Not that I care about what those two hooligans will do, but even Tressler's noticing. We need to step it up and unfortunately, we have no time for these silly relationship issues, savy?"

"Thanks," Dana said dryly, "Let me just go up there and apologize for being a girl. I'm sure that will clear things up nicely."

Merritt tilted his large hat back on his head, "Look, I'm not saying to apologize to them. What they did-whatever that is-I'm sure they're completely wrong and you are completely right."

Merritt gave her a look that just screamed his sarcasm and Dana couldn't help but laugh. Merritt continued, "But I'm just asking to be a little nicer to them, that's all. They are, after all, not as fully _developed_ as you and I are, right?"

"That's a little too much fluff for me," Dana replied, although her eyes were shining in amusement. "Trying to butter me up with compliments won't work."

"It's not buttering when it's the truth, cupcake," Merritt said, clicking his tongue."Boys are just jars filled with testosterone, greed, blood and emotion. Between you and me, I think I've seen them cry in Titanic more than I can count."

"No!"

"Yup," Merritt popped the 'p' with a loud smack.

Dana's lips twitched, and she turned away to hide the growing smile. Dang it! She's supposed to be angry! Even Merritt was slowly getting under her skin.

This was not good. Not good at all.

"Dana-pie? You in there?"

Dana snapped her eyes upward and asked, "Just how many pastries are you going to call me by the end of this thing?"

"Too many for you to count," Merritt said seriously, before grinning a bit when he saw Dana's scowl, "Come now, cream puff, it's my way to show affection."

"So you call Henley 'cream puff' on a daily basis too?" Dana asked slyly.

"What are you-" Merritt asked, looking very confused, before his face relaxed," OHHHH. Caught on have you? I thought we were subtle enough, but I guess you're just one smart cookie."

"So...you and Henley..."

Merritt nodded, "Have a plan to rile up Atlas. He is such a fun man to play with. He wears his emotions on his sleeve and...what's wrong?"

Dana's face was turning a various shade of red as she heard Merritt's answer, "Wait...you and Henley...don't like each other?"

Merritt blinked once, before laughing heartedly, "You can't be serious! You fell for that! You actually thought that.."Merritt laughed more loudly, clutching his stomach as if in pain, "Me...and germaphobe...were actually...oh, that's a good one. Can't believe you, of all people. I would have thought Atlas, and maybe even Jack but YOU! Oh my..."

Dana blushed and tucked her arms closer to her body, "I was a little bit distracted,"

"A little?" Merritt asked, still laughing.

"Okay, fine. I missed a lot, happy?" Dana gave in, looking rejected. She was supposed to be good a reading people, for goodness sakes! One emotional attack and all her abilities were just washed away. Jeeze!

"Look kid," Merritt said, seeing Dana's face, "It was just one mistake. It happens. Don't get too worked up on it. And as for the other problem...same advise. Don't get stressed and it will all work out in the end."

"And if it doesn't?" Dana asked, her voice suddenly becoming smaller, "I was a little harsh..."

"Jack is a man now, sidekick," Merritt said, standing up and tapping her shoulder, "He can take a bit of harsh words. But I think the plane is going to land soon. I should get back."

If Dana was paying attention, she would have been surprised at the sudden show of affection Merritt gave her. Merritt wasn't a touchy-feely kind of guy, and a tap on the shoulder meant much for him. But Dana was caught by another expression, one she never heard before.

"What did you just call me?" Dana asked, worried that she might have heard wrong.

Merritt frowned in contemplation, before his face set with a determined look, "Sidekick. "

"Why did you call me that?"

"Because that's what you are, aren't you?" Merritt answered, amused."You are part of the team, Dana, whether you like it or not. We wouldn't be able to do anything without you."

_Sidekick_. Dana whispered in her head as she watched Merritt go back upstairs. It was the first time one of the magicians actually acknowledged her as part of them, rather than just an assistant. She was a group member now, a fifth horseman( despite now ridiculously that statement was) and for the first time, Dana felt as if she belonged.

Magic hater or not, she had a job to do.

And no fight was going to change her ability to do so.

* * *

After managing to sweet talk a couple of security guards, wrestle out of her tiny outfit and grab her luggage, Dana quickly exiting the plane as it landed in New Orleans. Before anyone could notice her face, she made a U-turn from the airplane hanger and somehow managed to meet the four horsemen at the opening gates, making it look as if she was waiting for them all along.

"Oh, Dana! You're here! I was worried when I didn't see you!" Henley spoke first, spotting Dana in the crowd of colorful people.

Dana managed to break through the crowd and smiled brightly at Henley, "Hey! Sorry I was late! I didn't anticipate the Mardi Gras happening so soon."

"Honey, it's always Mardi Gras in New Orleans," Merritt commented, sending a wink at her. He, after all, knew that she arrived on the same plane and acknowledged the almost magical trick she pulled.

Who said that tricks had to be extravagant? Most tricks were subtle, illusions that barely received any notice.

"Who's this?" Tressler asked, turning toward Dana with a scrutinizing look of a businessman. Dana couldn't help but feel her skin crawl at the thought that this man held the souls of literally millions of people. Oh, she did her research.

She didn't just sign up to financially murder someone just for kicks.

"This is Dana Downs, Mr. Tressler," Henley replied, bringing one arm around Dana's shoulder.

"OH!" Tressler's eyes lit up in recognition. "You are that fifth horseman! I have been asking about you, but your friends are very secretive. But everything about you is secretive, isn't it?"

Dana winced at the term, but smiled widely, "Good to finally meet you Mr. Tressler. I would have met you sooner, but I had last minute preparations for the show to finish. And I'm sorry about all the secrets, sir. I have carry a lot of information about the show, and I'm afraid that my friends are a little paranoid that their act will be revealed."

"NEVER!" Daniel said, pushing Henley's arm off Dana's shoulder and putting his instead, "I one hundred percent believe in Dana's abilities. In fact I would-"

"Anyway," Dana said, rolling her eyes and leaning forward the shake Mr. Tressler's hand, "If you have any further questions about how tricks are done, please feel free to ask after the show. I'm afraid I will be quite busy before hand, though."

"Quite alright, Ms. Downs," Tressler said, his eyes twinkling in excitement. "I look forward to seeing it. Magicians these days are so secretive; it is difficult to ask."

Dana sent a wink of her own at her friends before saying, "Indeed."

"Well, here is our ride," Tressler said just as a parade of black cars entered the driveway. "I am sure that you all would want a car together for small talk and preparations. I just have to go to a business meeting before hand. I trust you will get to your hotel without any help?"

"You can count on me, sir," Merritt said, before ushering the other four into one of the cars, "Come on kids."

Dana entered the car and sighed as she found herself squished between Daniel and Jack_, again._ Usually, she wouldn't have minded, (who _wouldn't_ mind?) but she had a heavy duty apologizing mantra to go on, and this position was slightly embarrassing as well as awkward.

After a very long pause, Dana released a breath she didn't know she was holding and tried to speak the first words of the long speech she prepared during the last couple of minutes in the plane.

What came out instead was, "Hey Daniel. Did you check in everyone on your phone yet? I think you should do it before the show, because it's going to get a little hectic..."

Startled at the sudden sound, Daniel said, cautiously, still remember the weird episode back at Las Vegas, "Er...yeah. Of course. I still have some stragglers left though."

"Right," Dana said, the conversation slowly dying off. She cleared her throat, wincing at the loud sound.

Well this was awkward.

What Dana didn't know was that Jack was feeling the exact same.

Finally, Dana just rolled her eyes and said, "Hey, Jack?"

"Yes?" Jack quickly said, before mentally berating himself. _Oh my god. Did I sound needy? Was that ok? What the hell am I supposed to do now?_

"Um..." Dana wanted to scratch the back of her neck but her arms were pinned to Daniel's waist."Look..."

"Yes?"

Dana sighed, and looked up at Jack's eyes, "I'm...sorry, for shouting at you at the airport. It was...horrible for me to do that to you and I hope you'll forgive me."

Jack stared at her slack-jawed. She thought that it was her fault? "What?"

Dana winced, "I mean...if you're mad, I completely understand..."

"Are you kidding?" Jack said, completely surprised, "I should be the one to apologize."

"What?" it was Dana's turn to be surprised. "Why? I'm the one who yelled."

"But I hurt you..." Jack said abruptly, looking down in shame.

"WHAT?" Daniel shouted, causing Merritt to give him a sharp look. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO GAVE HER BRUISES?"

"WHAT?" Henley shouted from Jack's side. "Did you guys have a fight?"

"BRUISES?" Merritt asked loudly from shot-gun, not actually knowing what all the details were. "CUPCAKE? BRUISES?"

"Oops?" Dana answered weakly, burying into her seat. "Forgot to mention it?"

Merritt snorted, "More like lied."

"I didn't l-"

"SHE DIDN'T LIE!" Jack interrupted Dana, shouting angrily. "Dana doesn't lie. So watch your mouth you little-"

"You're one to talk," Daniel said abruptly, turning to Jack with an angry look usually never graced the magician's features, "You hurt her. Look at it!" Daniel grabbed Dana's wrists gently and pointed them at Jack.

Jack's face contorted, turning rainbow colors, before settling on guilt, "I know."

Seeing the look on Jack's face, Dana quickly shook her wrists away from Daniel and grabbed Jack's hands, "Jack. Don't. Just forget about it. It was just a misunderstanding, that's all. Just one big misunderstanding. I was being a jerk. And I was on my period and you know how emotional I get..." Dana wasn't anywhere near having her period, but the boys didn't know that.

Henley, who did know this, just send her an admonishing look but didn't say anything.

"But Dana-"

"Just a misunderstanding," Dana shot out, interrupting Daniel. She turned back to Jack, "So...we're cool?"

Jack glanced at Dana before sighing. He was a little cautious about the whole thing and it was the first ever fight he had with his best friend. Granted, a huge fight. Their little spats in the past was nothing.

"We're cool," he said, before smiling a bit. Dana mirrored him and giggled, causing the two to burst out in relief filled laughter.

For the first time in hours, Jack finally managed to relax. Instead of trying desperately to avoid body contact, Jack leaned into Dana's side, earning him a gentle squeeze on his knee. Jack smiled put his own hand around hers.

Suddenly, Jack's phone rang, signaling a text message. He used his right hand to pull it out of his jeans pocket and quickly turned it on, not wanting to remove the hand occupying Dana's.

_She might have forgiven you, but I haven't. Watch your back.- Atlas_


	7. Falling

**Hello, once again! I really hope you like the new chapter! I couldn't get it to work as the way I wanted to and this is what was made. Eh. **

**Also, I didn't quite know how they did the whole "levitating bubble trick' so I made up my own scenario. If anyone does know, please enlighten me.**

**Thank you to all my beautiful, followers and reviewers. I may not answer back to all of you, but I do read every single one and feel ultimate joy :)**

**Disclaimer as before.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 7: Falling_

* * *

It was approximately four hours before the Four Horsemen's New Orleans Magic Show and the FBI were steadily preparing to finally capture the nicknamed _masterminds_. So far, they had no proof that the magicians had done anything illegal, but hopefully they would be able to find and arrest these bastards before they did anything other harm.

Luckily Agent Rhodes was on the case; and after a brief debriefing he had done featuring a GPS system and Atlas's mental quirks, everyone was nervous and excited for the showdown that will probably take place.

Except for Agent Rhodes, himself.

Dylan Rhodes was instead sitting in his cool FBI standard car, balancing a coffee cup in one hand and a laptop on his knee. Despite his earlier outburst, he seemed cool and collected, even to the point of being uncharacteristic. In fact, many people in the office began nicknaming the guy _The Big Guy _just for kicks, much to Dylan's annoyance. But what many people didn't realize was that it wasn't uncharacteristic at all.

The son of Lionel Striker was, as the Elders often called him, a manipulative man, a genius in disguise. The Elders often berated him on his snarky attitude, calling him a child, but hey, Dylan Rhodes didn't really give a damn.

He got the job done. That's all that mattered.

This job in particular, however, was not a job that the Elders thrust upon him. No, this one was personal, and Dylan spent months perfecting it while performing the little missions he had to do.

The Eye disapproved, but who was going to punish him? He was high above the authority chain, anyway.

The only Elders who could possibly control Dylan plus had his respect was the Zancigs, and they were still back at headquarters.

Which brought him back to the predicament.

_Dana Zancig_. Dylan thought, scrolling the internet for clues. In all his plans and preparations, not once did he even think that Dana Zancig, daughter of The Zancigs, would even be a part of his show, much less an _assistant_ to a teenage street magician in the shady side of New York.

Dylan scowled. He had all the variables. ALL! Except for the Dana girl. He was not in control when Dana was involved and it frustrated him. He now had to quickly add the girl into the equation and hope for the best.

_How the hell did you even get here? _Dylan thought, glancing at her records once more. It was vague, just as all members of the Eye were. But here was the problem.

Dana wasn't part of the Eye. At least not officially.

It was a grand day when the Zancigs passed the Eye initiation and joined the magician cult. The Elders were glad to have the family who was famous for THE CODE in their ranks. Like many young couples, the Zancigs eventually had an addition to their family of two. It was the only ever recorded birth in the Eye. Most members were recruited or initiated, which still wasn't much.

One wasn't simply born into the Eye.

And so, from what Dylan heard, for he was barely a teenager himself when this happened, Dana and the Zancigs simply disappeared. Gone from the world of the Eye before it could cause serious damage to the family.

Dylan, and many others, assumed she was dead when the Zancigs miraculously returned a couple years after, without a little girl in tow.

But apparently, they were wrong.

And now the Eye, thanks to Dana's participation in the show, was informed of Dana Zancig. And Dylan bet that there will be an uproar in the ranks, considering that the Zancigs were part of the Elders. This placed Dana in the top ranks, despite not even passing a mission or a test or even an initiation, considering that Dylan's "test" wasn't counted.

Dana will bring a civil war to the Eye.

The man leaned back in his chair, hands over his head. He shook his head, chuckling in amusement.

Dylan couldn't wait.

* * *

Dana shuddered in the cold, not knowing that a few blocks away, a man was contemplating her very presence in the world. She was too busy thinking about another subject, basically her future and what will come of it.

The show.

Dana sighed, leaning against the railing of the balcony. It was night and yet the air was bright with lanterns and other lights dancing like stars. She would have preferred real stars, but she had to admit that the colors were pretty and they gave a nice illusion.

And she was all for illusion.

Her whole life was an illusion anyway, and with that thought, Dana's train of thought turned to more horrid thoughts that she didn't want to think about.

Her parents for one.

It wasn't a complete lie when Dana agreed to the whole story in her records about her parents. Her parents did die that fatal day, but it wasn't from an accident.

It was magic. The magic. Not some stupid little card tricks but _real_ magic.

It was _so _brilliant, so nicely done that no one noticed anything. Not even she, their daughter, knew exactly what happened that night. All she knew when she heard the news that it was impossible. Her parents couldn't die that easily, not with the knowledge they had. It was years later, however, when she found out that the cause of her parents' death was their own.

They committed suicide.

_Cowards, _Dana thought, aimlessly rubbing her slightly wet eyes. Even when she was a child, she didn't particularly like her parents( and for good reason) but that didn't mean she wanted them _gone. _ But they left her. Obviously, they thought she was a burden on their quest to become the most well known magician out there.

Her thoughts turned darker as she stared at out into the night. She wondered once again why she was doing this. At first it was to protect Jack, but after hearing about the Eye...

She wondered if somehow, she could find the truth. Demand an answer. Blackmail them into answering her. Something. Anything.

Dana tried so hard to avoid them, never wanting to get involved in _that. _But Dana finally had a chance to find out what happened, not that she spent her whole life trying to find the truth.

She was in this magic show. She might as well use it for her benefit.

Plus, it's not like the Eye would have much interest in her. She didn't even get a tarot card anyway.

Suddenly, Dana felt a warm hand gently pet her left shoulder in a familiar gesture. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Hey, Jack."

Jack stared at Dana, wondering what she was thinking about. Her eyes were glossed over, gazing out into the street but not truly seeing anything. The wind picked up and blew her hair gently behind her, and Jack could smell the shampoo that she always used. It wasn't a fruit or a flower scent but the just the scent of familiarity.

Surprisingly, it was the same brand he used.

Back when he and Dana were sharing a small flat in New York, they decided to share things to save money. That meant the same soap, the same clothes and the same shampoo. Jack, at first, was slightly startled at the idea (the fact that he was showering in the same place as a girl, was too much for his hormonal teenage body to take), but eventually, Jack was comforted that he and Dana shared something together, even if it was something small as shampoo. But his runaway days were gone and Dana could afford as much girly, fruity shampoo she could cart off. And yet, she used his.

It made him feel giddy inside.

The lights from the lanterns reflected off her skin, causing Dana to literally glow. Not that she didn't glow before. In Jack's eyes, Dana shined brighter than anyone he had ever seen.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, stepping closer to his friend.

Dana sighed and turned to meet his gaze, "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"The show," Dana replied, smiling a bit, "You know me; I get nervous all the time. It will go away."

Jack nodded, not sure of what to say. Before, he had been always relaxed when he talked to Dana. She was his family, and his home. But after the little fight, Jack was cautious. He didn't want to say anything to...

"Hey Jack?"

"Hmm?" he hummed.

Dana unconsciously licked her lips, nervous about what she was going to say. Jack's eyes zeroed on them instantly and he swallowed.

When had Dana become so beautiful?

No. He was just high on adrenaline. Dana's appearance couldn't have changed in a small period of time. _You've just had a very emotionally stressed day, Jack. You don't know what you're thinking right now._

"Um...after the show," Dana said, biting her lips.

"Er... yeah?" Jack asked, still distracted by her plump, red lips.

Dana paused for a second, glancing at Jack. Suddenly she rolled her eyes and pulled on his leather jacket, causing Jack to stumble into her arms. She quickly wrapped her arms around his body,( well as much as she could), and squeezed.

She muttered, "Just...be careful tonight, alright? The plan...it always seems to get you in danger the most. Just...be _safe."_

Jack stared wide eyed at her. He had hugged Dana all the time but this felt different. This time, Dana had hugged him first and that in itself made his heart beat a little fast.

Then he noticed that she was _trembling._

Worried, Jack quickly wrapped his own arms around her small body and hugged, trying to offer her some comfort in the only way he could, "It's going to be fine. I promise. I'll be safe, don't you worry."

"You better be." Dana said, before pulling back. Jack quickly missed the warmth, but stopped himself from doing something stupid.

Dana frowned, pulling out a watch from nowhere, and looked at the time, "We have to go, Jack. The show starts soon."

Jack's demeanor hardened, placing his poker face firmly on, and smiled, "Well, we better get the others right?"

Dana lifted her phone, "Done," and walked ahead. Jack stood for a moment, his mind racing with the thoughts of the show, Dana, shampoo, and the chase that he knew would occur later on that night. Steeling himself, he followed his friend inside. After a brief screaming match, involving Daniel and glittery pants, the four horsemen plus an assistant managed to get themselves into the building for call time. As soon as they step foot into the building, the five separated, the four horsemen taking the stage and Dana getting to work backstage. She let out a sigh in trepidation as she placed the mike set firmly near her cheek and jammed the Bluetooth in her ear.

"Ok, people, listen up..."

* * *

Agent Rhodes and his French date were clearly not enjoying the show. So far, nothing strange has occurred and it was driving the whole agency insane with worry. Something had to occur tonight.

The Four Horsemen scattered to the four corners of the stadium, each performing a magic trick of their choice. Dylan Rhodes was having a hard time focusing on all four magicians, and settled for watching the classic bunny disappearing act trick.

At least, that's what Dana assumed from her post.

High above the stage, Dana hugged her body around a small rafter, keeping balance as her eyes swept through the stage. It was a near impossible feat, unless one was part of the circus, but Dana felt quite comfortable up there.

Dana jerked her head back as she heard a crackling sound in her ear, signaling that one of the backstage technicians were about to call. Wincing in pain, she touched the ear piece and said, "What's up?"

"Nothing, boss," said the voice. _Little Jimmy,_ her mind answered her unspoken question. "You wanted me to call you when it was after the first act..."

Shimming her way backwards, feeling the nuts and bolts stabbing into her skin, she answered, "Thanks, Jimmy. I'm on my way. Also, can you get that bag near the steps for me? Thanks."

Dana slowly began to climb down the rafters. It proved to be difficult, probably because no one was technically allowed up there. But Dana needed a bird's eye view, and when had she ever followed the "rules"?

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._ Dana thought as her shirt got caught on the jagged edges of the rafters for the fifth time. Climbing up hadn't been so difficult, so she assumed it would be a cinch to get down.

She might have forgotten that backstage was _dark. _

Suddenly, Dana's foot slipped, causing her to fall backwards. Dana's arms flailed as she struggled to grab hold, but she was falling too vertically.

The next thing she knew, she was wrapped in sturdy arms. Dana opened her eyes, groaning at the sharp pain in her butt.

"What the-"

"A thank you, will suffice," a dark voice chuckled.

Groaning again, this time for an entirely different reason, Dana pulled herself away from her savior's arms, "Atlas."

"Wow. Cold," Daniel replied, rubbing his arms, "Considering that I just saved your life and all."

Blushing, Dana turned around and huffed, "I could have stopped myself."

"Sure..." Daniel said. He frowned and looked up at the rafters, "What were you doing there anyway?"

"Observing," Dana said, looking backwards at him, "By the way. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be up there...on the stage?"

"Yeah..." Daniel said, sheepishly, "Just forgot a few things."

Dana turned around fully, her eyes squinting, "Did you...forget the bubble juice?"

"Ehehe...Yeah."

Dana sighed, "I did tell you during our ride here. It's by the stairs."

"Thanks, "Daniel said. He didn't move.

"You could have just called me," Dana said, tapping her ear.

"Yeah."

Dana stared at her taciturn friend, confused. She slowly said, "But you came here...for another reason."

"Yup."

"So? What is it?" Dana said, exasperated. "I don't know if you know this, but there's a show going on."

"Yeah..." Daniel said, stepping forward. "But it can wait."

"What are you-"

"You alright?"

"What?" Dana asked, confused.

Daniel came closer, invading her personal space, "You were pretty quiet in the car. Is Jack..."

"Oh no," Dana said, waving her hands out in front of her, "Me and Jack. We're fine now. Thanks for asking."

Daniel frowned, "If he..."

"Are you seriously pulling the big brother card on me right now?" Dana said, incredulous."Because we are in the middle of a _show. _A show that we planned for MONTHS. I don't think my personal life is as important as the Eye."

"Family is more important than anything, Dana," Daniel said, placing one hand on her shoulder. "If Jack does anything...anything at all to hurt you...Just let me know, alright? I'll teleport _him_ somewhere he'll regret."

Dana's lips twitched, "Alright. Alright. Now can you please _get on stage?_"

Daniel smiled, messed up Dana's hair, picked up the bubble juice and sauntered on stage. Dana shook her head at his antics, chuckling to herself. Daniel was a good guy, a good brother, despite his_ shady _relationships.

Someone tapped Dana on the shoulder, breaking train of thought, "Ma'am? Here it is."

"Thanks Jimmy," Dana said to the little intern before grabbing the small paper bag. "Take over for me, alright?"

The boy stammered, "M-Me? Take over your spot? But I-"

"You'll do fine," she said, smiling a bit. She gave him her ear piece and mike set and ruffled his blond hair a bit. "I'm counting on you."

The boy beamed before rushing out of her way, probably to go tell his friends. Dana chuckled a bit.

She had a thing for blondes. And Jack Sparrow. And Joker. And Benedict Cumberbatch. _That voice..._

Dana quickly walked into a secluded area in the back and changed into the costume that was in the bag. Unlike Vegas, Dana was going to play a more important role in the performance, one that required her to play a part. She couldn't just wear her backstage clothing, so instead, changed into the black skinny jeans and nice blouse that showed the amount of cleavage that would be normal for a playboy magazine.

The boys protested against it, but Henley agreed. She had to make the focus her boobs rather than her face.

It was a sound plan, even if Dana was slightly uncomfortable in it. Pining a smaller microphone into her chest line and pushing a Bluetooth into her ear, Dana straightened up and walked toward the many dark corridors. She had memorized the buildings entire layout hours ago, and she hoped her impeccable memory wouldn't backfire on her now.

Luckily, it didn't, and she found herself sitting in one of the empty seats towards the left of the audience.

"I'm here," Dana muttered into her mike as she settled into the plush velvet seat.

"Good," Daniel said, "Now we can finally get started."

Dana rolled her eyes as she heard Henley's voice, "We were all waiting for you, because SOMEONE..."

"Meaning you, Atlas," Jack interrupted, chuckling, "Just in case you didn't know."

Dana grinned as Daniel brought out a gigantic bubble blower. It took her many hours on Ebay to find that thing and she had to admit she was quite proud of her find.

Well, that and the gigantic flashlight.

"Cue the lift," Dana muttered softly, watching a flash of a shadow on the sides of the stage. It was strange to see the shadows from the audience's point of view. Just a few moments ago, these shadows were flesh-and-blood people with names and personalities, but now were just black _things _ in the darkness.

Dana watched Henley suddenly fly into the air, encased by human sized bubble. The audience cooed and clapped their hands as the woman magician soured across the stage like Peter Pan on pixie drugs. Dana turned around and eyed the stage hand working behind the audience, using the projector to make it look as if Henley was incased by a bubble, when in truth there was nothing there. A little illusion, cooked up by Jack, actually.

Jack and Merritt were performing other tricks on their side of the stage as Daniel made bubbles, keeping the illusion up. As soon as Merritt let go of his 'volunteers' (handpicked by himself and Dana according to susceptibility) and Jack finished his card trick, Daniel put down his bubble blower and walked down the stage and to the audience. His stride was confident and he didn't even glance up at his partner, knowing where she would be at any given moment.

Dana crossed her arms and leaned back on her seat, satisfied at the interlocking tricks. She began to relax, knowing that her part was almost over, but four words caused her to tense in utter panic.

"The cable is breaking!"

Dana's eyes flicked upward in horror as she saw Henley's tether fall much more lower than it should have. She glanced at the shadows on the side of the stage, in charge of controlling the height, and saw a flashlight blink five times rapidly before swirling in random figure eights.

A warning.

Punching her ear in desperation, Dana whispered frantically, "Dan, Henley! The Chord! IT'S-"

The audience screamed in horror as the invisible chord connected to Henley's belt snapped, causing the magician to tumble head first into the air and to her ultimate demise.

* * *

**The Zancigs are real magicians who specialized in mentalism. You can find more information about them on wiki. It's pretty interesting.**


	8. Unexpected Technicalities

**Hi guys! I hope you like this chapter! I really enjoyed writing it! **

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 8: Unexpected Technicalities_

* * *

To this day, Henley couldn't exactly explain what happened at that dreaded moment. She remembered hearing a buzzing shout in her earpiece (probably one of the technicians warning her of the fall) and small _snap_ as the invisible string holding her in midair broke, but otherwise heard nothing over the roaring of blood in her ears and the scream of the audience around her.

At first, she tried describing what happened to her friends, but none of them would believe it. True, even she thought it was crazy, and she saw the impossible happen every day!

But she swore that somehow _something_ held onto the string, not so much pulling her up into the air but pushing against her. It felt as if an invisible hand grabbed tightly to the end of the string and _pulled_, but only had the strength to soften the fall, not stop it all together.

But this feeling lasted less than a second, and the next thing she knew, Henley was wrapped in Daniel's arms.

"Oh, so you _have _lost some weight."

Henley slapped his arm as the audience stood and clapped, and all thoughts of invisible hands, and impossible stunt disappeared into the wind.

She did vaguely wonder why Dana was breathing harshly into her mike ear.

* * *

_Holy shit. _Dana thought, desperately trying to control her breathing. Her hands were shaking with the effort to breathe and she collapsed into her seat as the blood rushed back to her legs.

"Um...miss? Are you alright?"

Dana was most definitely NOT alright. In fact, she had a feeling that she was going to faint, which was frightening because she hadn't felt _this_ drained since she was ten years old when she had finally learned to master her magic.

Because there were two types of magic in this world. There was magic, and then there was _magic. _

And Dana definitely knew the other.

Dana didn't _lie_ to Merritt when she said that she didn't know magic a year ago (has it only been a year ago?). She did know the tricks and how to do them, but she didn't actually perform, like her friends. The card trick she did back at the hotel was the only trick she knew, and she only learned it to win a couple hundred bucks back at college for the occasional book or two(or a greatly needed trip to Comic Con). She was supposed to "act" as if she didn't know how to do the trick, messing up the shuffle and stammering through the dialogue. But all she had to do was memorize the last card in the pile while shuffling and the card after that one was the card that the volunteer had chosen. When any of the macho college frat boys smugly told her that the next card she was going to flip was NOT their card, probably because their card was already in the pile on the table, Dana would ask them to bet on it. The slightly drunk and arrogant bastards will often bet hundreds, knowing their card was not in their hand. All Dana had to do was flip the card that was already in the pile and collect all the money.

She didn't say that their card was in HER hand, after all.

But that was the only trick she knew. That was it.

But Dana had to agree that she knew a lot of _magic._

This category featured things that normal people couldn't do. Things that only occurred in movies. Dana was talking about levitating objects, creating fires, HOLY-SHIT-I'M-THE-CHOSEN-ONE type of magic.

Yes, THAT kind.

Dana never knew how she received this 'thing'. She had it as long as she remembered. She couldn't control it, not really. Sometimes it worked and other times it failed. Over the years, she learned that if she concentrated real hard, she could sort-of make things happen.

Like saving Henley from her ultimate doom.

But not the card trick. Oh no, she had no idea how she did THAT.

Her parents, the Zancigs, could do it too. _Magic _not magic, although they were fluent in both styles. But even they couldn't do the 'thing' like her. No, Dana remembered hazy days in a house filled with weird smelling books filled with languages she couldn't read, clusters of smoking liquids boiling in the fireplace and diagrams of lines and circles painted on strips of paper that they never let her look at. When strange things began happening around her, her parents were intrigued at what she could do.

Frustrated, actually. And not in a good way.

And that's why she hated magic. It was not because she was horrible at it, oh no.

It was the opposite.

She was TOO good.

And being TOO good wasn't good at all.

Remembering that she was being spoken too, Dana wiped the sweat on her upper lip and smiled to her seat partner, "Oh. Sorry. I say, I was a little bit worried there! These tricks are so amazing!"

The man, an attractive boy from the West Coast, judging by the way he said his 'a's, "Yeah! I mean, this is a blast! It's so awesome!"

"Yes, it is," Dana muttered, taking a deep breath in order to somehow regulate her heart beat.

_I was not expecting that to be so tiring, _Dana thought, placing her shaking hands into her lap. It was the truth; she had never tried anything like this before.

She didn't even think it was possible, until it actually _worked._

One moment, Henley was falling in the sky, and the next moment, Dana felt all her energy spill out of her body.

Just thinking about it made Dana feel hazy. Lifting her head up despite the vertigo, she glanced at the stage to see if Henley was alright. She seemed fine, and was already up on stage. Sighing in relief, Dana looked around the audience, checking each handpicked "volunteer" for the show. That was her act today. Dana or rather "Hermione Hooper" was going to be another "volunteer" in order to increase the dramatics of the show's finale.

"During the intermission, we asked all of you to write your current bank balance on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope," Merritt said. "Now I want you to take those out. Take those out now."

Seeing everything was fine and the finale trick was on the way, Dana turned to look at Tressler, checked on Bradley, and glanced at the FBI agent, Rhodes. By this time, her eyes were swimming in tears, a side effect from the contacts she was wearing, the constant eye strain from peering in the darkness and the energy she had used for her little 'trick'. She blinked a couple of times, trying to focus her vision, but it only served to make her vision worse.

Combined with the headache that was forming due to her malfunctioning contacts, the stress from the show and the heaviness she felt from her recent magic trick, Dana felt the world shift on its axis. Holding onto the railing, she stood up, explaining that she had to use the bathroom to her seat partner. She just had to wash her face with some cool water and calm down. Maybe get a bite of that tuna salad sandwich left over from lunch. But something, a _prodding _feeling in the back of her head, compelled her to look back at the FBI Agents once more.

Despite her quickly dissolving vision, a pair of intense brown-almost black-eyes stood in clarity in the forefront of her mind, before she was swept in a wave of darkness.

* * *

Something was terribly wrong with Dana Downs.

At least, that's what it seemed like to Jack Wilder, magician extraordinaire, when the finale began. Dana was supposed to be the second to last "witness", a known variable in a sea of volunteers, and yet she wasn't on stage.

It hadn't been a problem, really. The Four Horsemen agreed to add Dana to the show as a safeguard, a worst-case-scenario girl, just in case one of the volunteers didn't _comply_ with the show's directions, or was too suspicious to say the truth regarding their bank account amounts.

But Jack's smug face dropped lower and lower in response to Merritt's eyebrows, which were wrinkling so much that he compared it to the skin of an elephant hours later. The other three Horsemen exchanged glances when the mentalist didn't shout for one Miss Hermione Hooper and proceeded right with the trick.

Jack began to quickly mutter into his mike for Dana straight after that, keeping his head down in attempt to mask his desperate attempts. When Dana didn't answer him, he turned wide eyed at Daniel for answers, only to see him too shake his head in confusion.

"We would like to thank our benefactor, Arthur Tressler!" Merritt spoke, crossing the stage. She quickly cupped his mike and whispered, "Get your head in the game, Wilder."

Jack shook his head, and smiled widely as Daniel said, "In fact, why don't you come down on stage." Merritt was right, of course. It was the final act; completely this was much more important than the safety of his friend. Besides, she was probably off eating a sandwhich, or just locked herself in the bathroom or something.

Jack refused to acknowledge the stupidity of that excuse.

The Four Horsemen were, if anything, professionals, and they went with the trick without any flaws. While Merritt explained the final trick to the audience, Jack sent a smirk at Tressler as practiced, but kept his eyes moving to try and find his assistant. Dana never mentioned where she would be sitting, and Jack never asked.

And unfortunately, the room was dark except for the little pinpoints of lights from the flashlights everyone held.

"Try row 56, second story. I think I saw her during the bubble trick," Daniel whispered in his mike.

Not even acknowledging him, Daniel quickly scrutinized the area before backing out to retrieve the gigantic flashlight needed for the performance. After he flashed the light a couple of times, said a few choice words he memorized for the trick, he returned backstage and gave the flashlight ( _that Dana found_ he suddenly thought) to the technicians.

"Hey. Have you heard from Dana?" he asked, covering his mike with his right hand.

The technician, a stage hand named Matt shrugged, "Last I saw her was on the rafters."

"The rafters?" he asked, looking up accordingly.

"Yeah. She was looking at the stage, I think," Matt said, before tapping his ear, "She gave her mike set to Jimmy and went to the audience."

"But I heard her in the audience fine..."

"I think she only took the mike that connects with the stage hands and you four," Matt replied.

Suddenly, Jimmy appeared behind Matt and asked, "Did something happen? Do you want me to look for her?"

Jack sighed, knowing that he had to get back on stage before the audience noticed, "It's fine. Keep a look out, but stay in your posts. Daniel would get pissed off if he saw you guys move."

"Yes sir," Matt said, before getting to his work. Daniel walked back up stage.

"We have a confession to make," Henley began, walking up to the audience.

"She's right," Jack said, tearing his eyes away from the audience to say,"We lied about something."

"Yes," Daniel continued, "None of you were chosen at random."

"All of you have one thing in common," Merritt concluded.

"Everyone in this room was a victim of the hard times that hit one of America's treasured cities..."Henley began, but Jack was barely listening.

"You lost your houses," Merritt said."Cars."

"Business," he managed to say, following the script just in time.

"Your loved ones," Daniel added. "But all of you were insured by the same company."

"Tressler Insurance!" the Four Horsemen stated, each of them pointing at the steadily angering man in the middle of the glowing stage.

The audience began to moan and groan, just as they planned it. Jack should have been happy, finally being able to get to this point, but all he really cared about was about Dana.

_Where are you?_

"Everybody look at your cell phones!" shouted one African American man, a decoy the Four Horsemen paid to act out. Just as they planned, the audience members began to scream out in awe and the room suddenly turned crazy with heightened emotions.

Perfect for a dramatic escape.

"DID YOU DO THIS?" Tressler pointed, bringing Jack back into reality.

"We would have needed your password," he pointed out smugly, before exiting toward the back, but not actually leaving the stage. Although his steps seemed calm and collected, he was actually dying to run out of the building to find his friend.

Who knows what happened to her. Did the FBI guy get her? Was it one of Bradley's people? Tressler's people?

"Or...I don't know, the name of your first pet," Daniel smugly answered.

"Where would we get that kind of information?" Merritt asked, "You certainly wouldn't tell us."

It seemed that Tressler finally understood that he was being conned; that all of this was real. He lunged, only to find his foot cuffed to the stage, preventing him from moving.

Jack stood in the back, waiting in the spot marked for him as Merritt high fived Henley. He could hear a vague, "Stop! Nobody move!" from the audience, and guessed that it was the FBI Agent. He prepared himself, knowing that he was about to go on a ride of his life. _God dammit! Where are you Dana?_

And then Daniel _had_ to do that annoying wave thing just as Agent Rhodes entered the stage.

"FREEZE!"

Things became a little hectic after that. A loud shout of 12 audience members/football players ran to the stage, efficiently tackling the Agent.

"WE ARE THE FOUR HORSEMEN!" the magicians shouted, just before flying straight up into the sky. Daniel ended up standing upon the very stage rafter that Dana had been about an hour ago, although he was too busy to notice. The four magicians quickly jumped to a small platform right next to the rafters and entered the small door situated there. The door wasn't locked, and instead the doorknob was scratched and jiggled when Henley ripped it open, probably due to Dana's help.

In a matter of seconds, the four horsemen found themselves outside the building, running down the fire escape.

"COME ON!" Daniel shouted, as they met the ground, running toward the alleyways. Henley followed, Merritt right after, and Jack was last place.

Suddenly a loud noise penetrated the group's ears, "All clear, Horsemen. Sidekick in position."

"Dana!" Jack heard Henley reply back. Jack felt a heavy weight lift from his chest and he couldn't help but smile widely despite the fact that they were running from the FBI.

"Hey, guys. Sorry about finale. Was stuck in the bathroom. Shouldn't have ate that chilicheese sandwhich."

Jack just shook his head and ran faster. Hearing Dana's voice seemed to give him an extra energy push, and soon he was catching up to Merritt.

"Come on, Henley," he heard Daniel speak, helping the only girl magician.

"Open area, ahead," Dana spoke, her voice more clear. There was less background noise, showing that she was also out of the building. "Cross the fence and it'll get you to some alleys again."

"Copy that," Merritt answered just as another voice penetrated Jack's earpiece, "FREEZE! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"

"Dana?" Jack asked, skidding to a stop as he heard police sirens.

"Hello, boys," he heard Dana say calmly, "Long time no see. Are you still reading fanfiction about me? I'm flattered."

"Come on, lover boy," Merritt suddenly interrupted, pulling Jack toward the fence. "You can listen to her flirting later."

Jack jumped the fence, and ran again, trying to clear his mind. He was getting distracted by Dana and that was a problem.

"She can take care of herself," Merritt said.

Jack knew that better than anyone. Hadn't he mentioned that in order to get her in this mess in the first place?

"Right," Jack muttered, dodging a trash can. Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him. "Guys. Someone's right behind us."

"Shit," Daniel muttered, speeding up. "We need to split up."

"Got it," Jack said, pulling the others into the left as a fork appeared on the road. Daniel slowed down, so that he was the last person in line. He grabbed Jack's shoulder quickly, before looking into his eyes. Jack searched for a moment before nodding.

He was just given an assignment.

* * *

Daniel hopped over another fence, cursing a bit when his pants got caught. He could barely hear anything over the roar of blood in his ears and his breath came harsh. Frankly, he wasn't the best athlete of the four, but he was the only one able to be a good decoy. Luckily, his plan worked and he could hear the footsteps of his chaser only a few feet behind him.

Whoever it was, he was fast on his feet.

_I need coverage._ Daniel thought and he ran toward the sounds of partying. Next thing he knew, he was in the middle of the Mardi Gras parade. Smiling a little at the perfection, he ran, swiftly avoiding the colorfully decorated people and half naked women that would have taken his interest if it wasn't for the fact that he was being chased.

Daniel sneaked a peek behind him and saw that it was the French lady following after. If he was surprised by the gender, he didn't show and just tried to increase his speed. He turned back to his front only to see_ Motherfing luck. Agent Rhodes_.

The agent seemed confused, scanning the crowds. Just when his eyes were about to head toward his direction, a police officer bumped into the agent, causing him to turn around.

"Nice," Daniel muttered into his mike set, before changing his course.

"Yeah, well I'm not a master for nothing," Jack's voice echoed past the loud background noise.

Daniel just smiled and ran ahead, seeing a wall he could jump. He could hear the French Lady's footsteps only a few feet away from him. There was a fifty-fifty chance that he would be able to jump over it before she caught him. _Well. Might as well. _He readied himself and jumped.

"STOP!"

_I tried._ "Sorry guys," he muttered, before turning around on the wall and lifting his hands up as he saw the gun pointed at him.

The French lady released the safety but did nothing else. Daniel wasn't sure if she was going to shoot, and he really didn't want to find out. There was a chance he might get out of this alive, but if he decided to run, there was no doubt that he would get shot at.

Right after he made the decision to run, another voice echoed out, "Go ahead, SHOOT!"

Daniel turned around, only to see Dana appear to his left, looking slightly haggard but confident. There was a broad scratch across her cheek and Daniel could see small bruises littered across her collarbones.

The French lady turned as well and pointed the gun at Dana, only to quickly put it back at Daniel. She seemed confused, not knowing who was the most dangerous of the two.

"Go ahead, shoot him."

Daniel felt a ray of panic. What? Shoot him? Was she insane? Was she...betraying him? The Four Horsemen? Why wasn't she at the performance? Was this her plan all along, to stop the Eye's plans from working? Did she hate magic that much?

"What the hell are you doing?" another voice cried, and Daniel groaned as Agent Rhodes appeared behind the French Lady. Seeing him and Dana, Rhodes quickly pulled out his own gun and trained it on the girl.

Dana calmly said," Shoot him, already," and pushed out her wrists," And arrest me."

The two cops watched her in confusion, and they weren't the only ones. Daniel felt betrayed, and his vision was red with anger. _After all this time...all the efforts...was I being used?_

Dana rolled her eyes," Are you two deaf as well as blind? Shoot. Him. SHOOT. Him."

"You want us to shoot him," the French lady said. "You're friend."

"Yes."

The French lady's hands shook, before pulling down her gun. "I cannot."

Daniel took this time to bolt, and quickly jumped down to the other side. Before anyone could follow him, he began to run.

He only stopped, after two more turns in the alleys, when he heard a loud BANG of a gun being fired.


	9. Something Wrong

**So...I should be ashamed.**

**I am really really really sorry for the long hiatus. I really don't have much excuses other than the fact that I am officially a college student and I have midterms coming up...**

**I was so surprised by the amount of people who read this when I was away. Thank you so much for not giving up on me.**

**Sorry about the length.**

** Disclaimer as before.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 9: Something Wrong_

* * *

As soon as Daniel disappeared, Dana ran toward the wall and jumped as well. Her feet almost slipped from her haste, and her lack of upper body strength made it difficult for her to climb a cross. But she managed to scramble up and back down again before she got caught. She did manage to see the French lady clap her forehead in frustration and Agent Rhodes shout, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" before the wall blocked her view. Although she was a curious sort of person, Dana knew it was stupid to stay behind and ran as fast as she could. She could hear the clanging of metal behind her, showing that Agent Rhodes was not that far behind. With her heart pumping at a fast rate, she came across a fork in the road. After hesitating for a second, she took a left, only to see that the end was blocked.

She never did have a sense of direction, and only knew the streets of New York due to the constant mistakes she made rather than innate talent.

Of course, none of the Four Horsemen knew of this, as they were already far away from danger. Jack, after ditching the uniform he had swiped to confuse Rhodes back in the crowded villa, managed to escape to another hotel they registered into before the group came to New Orleans. Henley and Merritt were also on their way there, having caught a cab many blocks away from the show.

The only one who could actually see Dana was Agent Dylan Rhodes himself, and he was confused and angry beyond belief.

"Why did you tell me to shoot him?"

Rhodes saw Dana turn around slowly, looking like a young girl rather than a criminal mastermind. Rhodes knew that Dana was a smart cookie, he was after all _smarter _than anyone, but he was still wary.

Like he thought earlier, Dana was an unknown variable.

Who knew what she would do.

"Well...aren't you going to arrest me, agent?" Dana said calmly, her voice not wavering at all despite the truth.

Rhodes didn't care about arresting her, for obvious reasons, and was more focused on the puzzle that was Dana Zancig, "Answer the question."

"Welllll," Dana said, taking a cautious foot back, "I knew you weren't going to shoot. You can't shoot."

"Yes, I can," Rhodes, no Strike, said before quickly releasing the safety on his gun and firing a single shot to the sky. The loud sound irritated his ears, but he was happy to note that Dana visibly flinched at the noise.

Strike watched as Dana fiddled with something close to her mouth, _Her microphone _he thought, and presumed that she was turning it off.

Strange. She didn't want the others to hear.

"Tell me again girl," he said firmly, watching and noticing, "And tell me truthfully. You obviously know that I am an FBI agent, capable of killing for the law. And yet you say that I can't fire a shot at a low, rugged, filthy criminal as yourself. Why did you think that?"

Dana, who had been warily making half-formed escape routes in her mind, focused on the agent at the question and simply said, "Because I believe you're a good person."

Too shocked at the simple naivety of the answer, Rhodes let his arm visibly lower and relax. In his head, he was thinking _Is this girl for real?_ before quickly training the gun back at her again. "You serious?"

She nodded, and Rhodes couldn't find a hint of false intentions in her eyes. And he was very good a reading people. None of the mask he had seen back at the police station was visible now, and a picture of full raw emotion displayed on Dana's face.

This girl, someone he had only been introduced to, _trusted _him unconditionally.

It was a strange feeling, that.

Without thinking, Rhodes found himself order, "Go." Dana's face shifted to confusion before happiness and finally to a smug grin as if she knew that he was going to let her past.

Without another word, Dana ran off into the alleyway, until he couldn't see her swinging hair anymore. Rhodes's arm swung down, his shoulder muscles loosening and he just shook his head.

_This girl..._

It wasn't until Dana entered the hotel _Tipton_'s main lobby and clamored into the empty elevator that she finally relaxed her tense muscles. As the floors flew past her, Dana leaned against the wall and shuddered.

It was a miracle she managed to get here.

Dana's vision started to waver as tears began to bubble from her eyes. A loud ceaning sound erupted from her throat, and Dana clamped her hands to her mouth in an attempt to keep the sounds of pure fright and agony from coming out and alerting anyone.

Everything was alright. They did it. No one was hurt.

She was alive.

When Dana woke up groggily to the sounds of screaming back at the performance, the first thought that flickered in her head was that of pure fear. She thought she was a little kid again. She thought, briefly, that her parents were still alive and ready to use her like they always did. For the Eye.

Whatever that was.

Because the Eye was an organization of freaks, people who used spells and curses, potions and stones, to _force_ magic into their souls. It was supposed to be a society for _good_, healers, royals, and soldiers, according to the ancient tomes that she secretly read. It was supposed to be only for those who had the potential, people who had an untapped magic deep within their souls.

But anyone, including her parents, could be magicians if they wanted to. The Eye had that kind of power. But the magic, the forced magic, wasn't good. It wasn't _pure._ And although her parents and many other members of the Eye were essentially better at controlling the power than Dana did, her magic was innate.

But Dana didn't know that.

All she knew was that she had this ability to do things, things that weren't supposed to be true. She was terrified about being found out. She had read enough comic books to know that whatever she had wasn't good.

God, she hated magic.

_ I don't plan to be found out._ Dana thought, taking a shuddering breath and closing her eyes. Everything was too much right now. Too much. All of these thoughts that she kept shut up tight in her mind was flooding out and her though processes looked more like a jumble rather than the linear organization it was.

The fear of the Eye haunted her throughout her life. When Jack was recruited for the Eye, she was scared. Dana didn't know much about the Eye other than what she remembered from her childhood and the few friends her parents brought back home.

But Jack, her best friend in the whole wide world, was adamant about it. And if he wanted to be part of the Eye, she was going to help him, even if she didn't know whether he had the potential to harness the magic in his soul (if he had any to begin with).

The fear when she woke up was quick and Dana panicked, only to realize that the screams weren't what she thought. Reality flooded in and Dana cursed out loud before quickly running to the opposite exit when she heard the word "FREEZE!" echo in the building. She didn't even stop to think as to why she suddenly dropped in a dead faint and only cared about getting out of that building and helping her friends.

After fumbling with her microphone, a quick chat later, and another random excuse she was back on track with the plan. Unfortunately for her, she got caught by a group of cops before she could get any farther.

That had been painful.

But she somehow managed to break free from them (and trust her she still doesn't know how she did it), and find Daniel.

But she had been too late.

The elevator door opened and Dana quickly wiped her tears under her glasses and stumbled into the hall after checking to see if anyone was around. Seeing no one, she walked slowly toward the second to last door on the right. She would have walked faster if it wasn't for the fact that her head was whirling from vertigo. Fighting the urge to throw up, she took a deep breath and straightened her spine.

"Dana!"

She felt Jack first. A pair of arms wrapped around her tightly before pulling back. Dana could see Jack glancing up and down over her body, checking for injuries. "Are you alright? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Dana managed to laugh, wincing a bit. "Just a little bruised, that's all."

"Your eyes are red. Have you been crying?"

Dana shook her head, "No. I was—crocodile tears, Jack. I had to get away from the cops somehow."

"Oh," Jack said before stepping away.

Dana frowned, noticing something amiss. The atmosphere felt strange, weird, as if there was a giant in the room that everyone was too scared to wake up. Jack looked happy, grateful that she was here.

But the others were silent.

The Four Horsemen plus the assistant stared at each other, each trying to figure out different things. Dana bit her lip in worry, wondering why the others were behaving as if she was a ticking time bomb.

Finally Daniel, who was sitting on the sofa, cautiously cleared his throat, "So um…we heard a gun shot."

"I'm alright," Dana said, keeping her smile in place, "See?"

"Yeah," Daniel muttered, exchanging looks with Henley.

"Why did you turn off your mike?"

"Why the sudden interrogation?" Dana asked, her eyebrows scrunching up in confusion. "What's wrong with you guys?"

The room was silent. Dana turned back to Jack, silently pleading to answer the question. Jack looked up away, preferring to stare at her shoes.

"Nothin" he said, avoiding her eyes. "I have to go. Do something."

Dana watched as Jack abruptly walked out of the living room and into his room. Confused and slightly weary, Dana turned to the others, "Is…everything alright? Did something happen?"

Merritt, who had been silent this whole time, stood up, "Nothing's wrong, Downs. It's just been a long day and everyone's ready for some shut-eye. We have ride back to New York later in the early morning, so I suggest you get some sleep."

"Good night," Henley and Daniel said together, standing up as well. They both gave her a small grin, although it lacked the warmth it usually did, and left the room.

"Me too," Merritt said, stretching his arms. "Get some sleep, Downs."

"Night—" Dana said softly, not knowing what was going on.

Soon she was the only one left in the living room.

And it was only a few minutes later did she remember that Merritt didn't call her a pastry even once in the duration of the night.


	10. Flaming

**Hey guys! This was my favorite chapter to write. Which says a lot about my personality. LOl. Thanks again! And I hope you enjoy it!**

** Disclaimer as before.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 10: Flaming_

* * *

Jack rolled over in his bed, before letting out a large sigh. Sitting up abruptly, he swung his feet to the ground and put on his shoes.

He couldn't sleep.

And judging by the lack of people snoring in the two beds beside his, the others were facing a bad case of insomnia as well.

Shuffling out of the bedroom, Jack decided to go to the living room, where he knew the others were at, but paused after hearing a small keening noise in the direction of the other bedroom. Quietly, he changed his course and walked into the opposite room.

The only light in the small apartment was from the living room, but Jack was able to maneuver around the various furniture of the girls' room. The bed closest to the door was empty, although neatly made, but Jack paid little attention. His focus was pointed towards the little bundle beside him.

Or rather the person sleeping comfortable inside it.

Jack carefully sat on the corner of Dana's bed and watched her breathe. Jack briefly wondered if he was creepy, but he was faced with too many problems for him to truly care. He watched Dana a little bit more before sighing. He was about to stand up, but saw one of the pillows thrown hapazidly on the floor. Smiling a bit in amusement, Jack bent down to retrieve the pillow and carefully arranged it next to Dana. As if she was conscious of this new development, Dana shifted in her sleep, reached out and brought the pillow to her chest before hugging it tight.

Shaking his head, Jack turned around and walked out of the room. Shooting one last glance behind him, he walked down the hallway and into the living room of the small New York apartment that started all of this mess.

Another kind of mess was brewing in the room. The three Horsemen were crowded together, looking over the notes spread randomly on the table and whispering harshly at each other. At Jack's footsteps, three heads looked up and him. The two men went back to their convseration, using large hand movements, but Henley smiled warmly before motioning him to sit beside her.

"What's up," he said, nodding gratefully at the hot, steaming cup of coffee thrusted into his hands.

"Have you thought about the plan?" Daniel asked, placing his notes down and glanced at Jack.

Jack nodded, "Yea—"

"We can't tell her," Daniel cut off, lacing his fingers together and peering at Jack, "Can you do that?"

"Why?" Jack said, sighing in frustration.

"You know why," Merritt added, leaning back on his chair. "We're doing this just so she doesn't know."

"Look, what if she had a plan when she said—"

"She could have," Henley pointed out, "But she could be working for the FBI."

"But—"

"I don't like the idea as much as you do," Daniel interrupted, looking uneasy, "But…Henley is right. Dana was suspicious last night. Even if she was bluffing with Agent Rhodes, there were other times..."

"Like what?"

"You know," Merritt said, looking bored while twirling a pencil in his hand. "Where was she when it was her turn to perform? How did she escape those cops without a single injury? And more importantly, why did she tell the FBI with a gun to shoot?"

"I thought you were on her side," Jack protested.

"I am on my side, and my side only," Merritt said, before turning to Daniel, "No offense, Atlas."

Daniel waved it off, "Look. This is the only way. Dana, if she is a spy, knows all our plans. The only thing we can do is deviate from it. Once she is confused…"

"She'll think that we're not following the plan—" Jack finished, looking dejected. "Either way, we'll finish the job."

"Exactly," Daniel said before sighing. "So everyone understand exactly what we're doing right? Every last deta—"

"Yes, we got it," Henley said, rolling her eyes. "This isn't our first trick, Atlas. "

"Alright, alright," Daniel said, holding his hands. "Calm down, miss magician. Why don't you just get some sleep? The cops probably found out about the switched phones already—they aren't stupid enough to not check the security footage by now. They'll be here by tomorrow. We need to be ready to make our move. "

"Right," she said, before standing off. "Well I'm going to sleep. Good night everyone."

"Good night." The other men muttered.

"I'm gunna hit the haystack too," Merritt grunted before nodding at the other two. "See you in the morning."

Jack watched Merritt leave before turning to Daniel, "Aren't you going to leave too?"

"In a minute," he said, his fingers tapping on the table. "Look Jack—"

"I know," Jack said, rubbing his eyes. "I'll do my job. I can handle it."

"It's not that," Daniel said, before standing up. "I don't doubt your abilities as a magician. It's just…prepare. You don't know what Dana's reaction will be when she sees you dead. You can't compromise this because of it. She could be acting for all we know."

"I know." Jack said.

"Right," Daniel said, before patting Jack on the shoulder. "Well good night then. "

"Good night."

* * *

Dana jolted awake as she heard a loud crunch in the living room. Gasping air in surprise, she turned to her nightstand and fumbled for her glasses. Once the room cleared, she jumped out of bed and shimmied into her jeans just as she heard Henley's voice echo into the room.

"The firewall is down! Do they know about this?"

Fearing the worst, Dana jammed her feet into her sneakers (a smart choice on her part) and practically ran into the living room.

"They who?"

"They! Them! Whoever we're working for," Henley said, sitting on the computer desk.

Assessing the situation, Dana quickly ran to the nearest table and began collecting all her notes and plans.

"Who are we working for? Merritt asked.

Dana's hands shook as she heard the conversation around her. She silently worked, but glanced toward Jack, seeing if he was alright. He seemed stunned, staring at his desk in worry, but there were too many papers for Dana to see what he was staring at.

"Stop being paranoid."

"But it really does happen," Merritt pointed out.

"Yeah, it happened to _you._ But that doesn't mean it will happen to us," Daniel said, not noticing his slight insult.

Suddenly Jack spoke, "Look, I don't know if I can do this. I don't want to go to jail, you know?"

Dana knew this was going to happen. She fully prepared to go to jail for them, for Jack.

She couldn't believe Jack was backing out now.

"Then don't screw up," Dana snapped, the anxiety kicking in to the point that she didn't care that she was currently being a little bitchy.

"You're always talking about wanting to be treated like an adult," Daniel added, staring at Dana before quickly turning back to Jack. "Well it is time to start acting like one. Stick to the plan. Stay here and burn it all."

Dana looked up in surprise. "Only him?"

"Yeah," Daniel said, "Change of plans."

"And why didn't I get notified?" Dana shrieked, dropping all the papers in her hands.

Daniel shrugged innocently, "You were sleeping."

All five persons, snapped their heads up as they heard police sirens close by. The magicians and Dana quickened their pace, forgetting the conversation for the moment.

"I'm here for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow," Merritt said, "That's it. Then I'm gone."

Dana looked up incredulously. Really? Was that it? Was the bond they formed in this past year not even worth a little bit of money? Feeling hurt, Dana moved to the window, staring at the little people walking on the pavement.

Henley stood up and spat, "You can do whatever you want when this is over Merritt, but until then, you stick to the plan."

Dana's eyes widened as she saw the police exit out of their cars, heading straight toward the entrance of their apartment, "Hey, guys. Um…they're here."

"Go, go, go!" Daniel said calmly, ushering the three magicians out of the room. Dana grabbed her emergency bag, slung it over her shoulder and headed toward the door.

Hesitating, Dana looked back at Jack, "Jack."

Jack stood silently before smiling, "Go on, Dana. You know the drill. I'll be there once the trick is over and we'll just run together. Just like last time."

Dana bit her lip, wanting to say something important before she left, "Jack…"

"Tell me later, alright?" Jack said, smiling. But his eyes didn't seem to light up as before. "Now go."

Dana paused, and unwillingly commanded her legs to catch up to the three other magicians. She could hear the thundering footsteps now and the shouts of "FBI" from downstairs. The group silently headed down one level of stairs before coming to a ladder. Merritt quickly opened the door.

"Ladies first."

Henley didn't smile as she climbed down the ladder and Dana was too worried to care about manners. Her hands were still shaking, but she managed to get down the ladder with haste.

Soon they were out on the street. Daniel lifted his hand on the street, signaling a taxi, but Dana really couldn't concentrate. All she could think about was poor Jack alone in the apartment, waiting to be arrested. There was no possible way that he could escape, not matter how awesome he was.

A yellow taxi pulled up. Henley quickly threw her bags into the seat and scooted in. Merritt and Daniel quickly entered as well.

But Dana stayed.

"Come on, Dana!"

She couldn't do it. She couldn't leave him there.

Her lips twitched in amusement. She had to help him with his grand escape.

She was, after all, Jack's assistant.

"I'll see you guys in a while," she said, slamming the taxi door shut. "I'll come back with Jack."

"Dana!" Henley's voice echoed, but the taxi was already on its way. Dana watched it going and quickly headed back inside, her fists clenching in determination.

She was just about to get on the ladder and back upstairs when she heard the light footsteps of Jack above her.

She knew the sound of his _footsteps._ This didn't bode well for her at all.

Dana grabbed Jack's hand as he landed and instinctively ducked as he shot a punch where her face should have been. Dana tugged on his arm and began running, watching his face widen in surprise, "Dana!"

"Just like old times, right Jack?" Dana laughed, dodging people and objects as she heard an angry shout behind her.

"Not really," Jack huffed, as he tried to sound annoyed. "If I remember, I was the one who grabbed your hand."

"Yeah, but we didn't have the Hulk smashing towards us that time," Dana quipped, before letting go of Jack's hand to neatly jump over a metal cart. "Come on, slow poke!"

The two burst out of the door, and immediately put on a poker face as they saw two agents scanning the area. Jack lifted his jacket collar up and tilted his head down while Dana flipped her jacket hoodie over her face. It seemed to work for a moment, until one of the FBI grabbed onto Jack's neck.

Everything else was a blur. Jack managed to slam one guy headfirst into a black car. Dana, despite what she implied, really was not familiar with fighting at all and was immediately encased in the steel arms of one of the agents. She struggled, squirming, before quickly kicking the guy in his crotch and ducking out of the way. The agent howled and Jack quickly punched the guy in his stomach before twisting his wrists. Jumping over the car's hood, Jack entered the driver's seat.

"Come on!"

Dana opened the door and was about to go in when she was grabbed not to gently by Agent Rhodes, who finally decided to show up.

"Jack!" Dana cried in surprise, but Jack, who had thought Dana was beside him, pressed on the gas pedal and shot off.

Agent Rhodes was stronger than he looked and Dana cried out in terror as he kept a firm grasp on her wrist.

"You're coming with me," he said, before turning to a random passerby who was staring at the scene in horror. "FBI. I'm going to have to take this car." Rhodes shoved Dana in the passenger seat, before entering himself.

Dana desperately tried to open the door but it was locked. The car suddenly swerved, causing her to fly almost into Rhodes' lap.

"You should put on your seat belt," he said before taking another sharp left turn.

"Let me go!" Dana said.

"How about no," Rhodes said calmly, his eyes firmly on Jack's black car in front of him.

Dana gasped as the car entered the bridge and held onto the car seat tightly as Rhodes drove in and out of the cars. Car horns blared in warning and the sound, combined with Dana's own heart beat, made it impossible for her to hear. Dana gave up trying to escape, knowing that it was futile now. She could only hope that she would be able to swindle her way out at court, although she knew it was a small chance.

All she cared about was not getting herself or Jack killed.

"GOGOGOGOGO!" Agent Rhodes shouted to himself as a big bus blocked his view. He braked before shifting to the right of the bus, just as Jack's black car did the same.

But Jack's car didn't right itself. It kept on going to the left and quickly hit the left land divider. Dana shouted in terror as the black car jumped in midair, fire leaping out from the metal deathtrap, before tumbling to the ground. Dana ripped the door open and ran blindingly toward the car, but Agent Rhodes got to it first. He pulled the door open and launched himself into the upside down car before struggling to pull Jack out. Dana tried to get in between him, but one agent pulled her back and grabbed onto her arms. Kicking and screaming, Dana cried out, totally and utterly afraid. Dana closed her eyes concentrating hard as she could thinking _Get him out of there. Come on! Work! Why won't you work, damn it!_

The car suddenly sprouted more fire and Dana knew it was about to explode any second. People were screaming, but Dana couldn't understand.

Another agent was grabbing Agent Rhodes, trying to pull him out before it was too late.

"Move back move back!" the agent holding her cried, pulling her back from the car.

No! She wanted to be near Jack. She needed to help him. Why wasn't anyone helping him?

The two agents stumbled out and ran away from the car just as the machine exploded in a burst of fire. Dana could barely hear herself over the heavy fear of guilt and terror as her best friend, her magician, and her love _god damnit_ blew up in flames.

"JACKKKKK!"


	11. Tricks

**I should be studying for my midterm...but I decided to write this instead. You guys are a bad influence on me. I hope you like this chapter!**

** Disclaimer as before.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 11: Tricks_

* * *

_This can't be happening._ Dana thought, staring blankly at the metal poles holding the bridge together. The police and the FBI were swarming around her, making calls and taking pictures of the scene of the crime. One of the agents had already handcuffed her as soon as the car exploded in front of her very eyes, her best friend dead.

Not that it would have mattered in the long run. She could always do that trick she used, back at the police station in Las Vegas.

Dana closed her eyes. Las Vegas felt like centuries ago. She felt like she was just a kid back then; these last few seconds aged her in ways she couldn't comprehend. The guilt felt heavy sitting on her shoulders.

_It is all my fault._ If Dana hadn't been caught by Agent Rhodes, she would have been in the car with Jack. Somehow, she could have stopped this.

"Come with me," an agent harshly ordered, jerking her handcuffed hands toward his direction. Dana didn't utter a sound and just followed.

Why did it matter anyway, whether she was going to jail or not? The energy it took, the planning…did it matter in the end?

_It didn't matter for Jack_ Dana thought bitterly as she watched her shoes crunch the gravel from the road as she walked.

"I didn't ask you," said Agent Rhodes just as Dana entered the area. "I asked him."

"The money's in a vault. Inside a warehouse in Queens," said another man with glasses, one Dana didn't recognize.

"We think this vault is the Magician's final target," said another African American man.

"Why don't we ask from the source?" said the man with glasses, turning toward Dana. "Well? Is this your final target?"

Dana said nothing. Truthfully, she didn't really hear it. All she could hear was the sound of screeching tires and the ringing noise in her ears that came from the fire explosion. _Jack._

"Well?"

"Leave her alone," Agent Rhodes said, suddenly, "She just saw her partner in crime smoke up in flames. Let the agent take her back to the station. We'll sort the legal terms from there."

"And why should I take orders from you?"

Rhodes snapped, "Because I'm in charge of this investigation."

The glasses man replied, "The magician who died on the bridge, you pulled our classified files from his crispy little hands. Despite what bullshit Robin Hood disguises, your magicians are nothing more than common thieves."

"How did they get the file?"

"This is the part you're going to find particularly interesting, Agent Rhodes. They hacked my server after they accessed their mobile command center from New Orleans from the codes they got from your phone."

Dana should have closed her mouth. But she didn't care anymore. She was going to jail anyway, right? "She."

"What?"

Dana looked up before glaring straight at the glasses man, "You said 'they hacked.' It was she. As in me. I hacked your server. Singular. Not plural. It was a one woman job."

Dana smiled bitterly, "And don't you forget it."

The agents stared at Dana, bewildered at her confession. Agent Rhodes suddenly coughed loudly, a weird sound coming from his throat. Dana smiled at her accomplishment but her smile dropped completely from her face as she realized…

_Jack would have liked that._

"I'll deal with you later." Said the glasses man before turning to Rhodes, "The level of incompetence shown in this case is astounding. That's a magic trick in of itself. Abracadabra. I'm taking over."

The glasses man walked away from the group but paused, "Oh. And I almost forgot. Rhodes. Bring the girl to Queens. She may help find them."

Rhodes protested, "She's not going to help us."

"Oh she will."

"She just saw her friend _die._"

"And?"

Rhodes looked at him as if he was crazy, "You want someone who is clearly in shock to a case?"

The glasses man paused before lifting an eyebrow, "She is just a criminal, Agent Rhodes. She can take it."

The rest of the group left, never speaking to Agent Rhodes. Dana didn't pay attention, her eyes returning to the scorched mark on the bridge once again.

She never did tell him that he was everything to her. Tears began to bubble out of her and Dana felt her insides heave.

A warm hand jerked her out of her thoughts, "Come on."

It was Rhodes. Angry at her weakness, Dana tried to wipe the evidence away, only to remember that she was handcuffed. Dana heard a sigh and her vision was suddenly overwhelmed with the face of Agent Rhodes.

"Here," he said before pulling out a handkerchief, taking out her glasses and gently rubbing her tears away. Dana flinched, not used to the sudden tenderness that Rhodes was giving her.

He was pulling a gun to her heart only a couple of nights ago, after all.

"Why are you being like this?" she asked, snatching the glasses from his hands and awkwardly jamming it into her face.

Rhodes stared at her before turning away, "I know."

"You know what?" she asked bitterly, her eyes glancing back at the scorched mark on the pavement.

"I know what it is like to lose someone," he said, before walking away. "Get in the car."

Dana was too shocked to do much.

* * *

Dana was not too gently pushed out of the car before being escorted into a large warehouse. Confused, she let herself be taken into the white corridors.

Her tears were dry. All that was left was anger. Anger at the horsemen for leaving Jack to clear the last of their work. Anger at them for not mourning and going on with the job. How could they think about the job while one of their members were dead?

And Dana was tempted. Tempted to tell everything and expose them all. Expose the Eye, expose her so called team mates.

But that anger evaporated easily.

_It is what Jack would have wanted._

It is strange how the dead could make such an influence even in the after life.

The group turned the corner, and Dana could see the space where the so called safe would have been. Dana didn't know what was going on though.

This plan was different than the one she and the Horsemen came up with.

_They probably thought I was going to give them up._ Dana thought, _That I was a snitch. I wonder how long it took them to plan this? _

"Where's the safe?"

Dana paused, stopping short.

Had they distrusted her from the beginning?

Doubtful and feeling hurt, Dana clenched her fists. _No. They couldn't have. We…we are teammates._

"What is this?"

"Where is the god damn safe?"

Dana caught up with them, feeling a little silly running with her hands strapped in front of her. She glanced at the empty room with wide eyes.

She couldn't help a twitch of amusement appear in the corner of her lips.

_Well played, guys._

Dana decided then. She was going to help these guys to the best of her ability. And that means that she had to stay on the inside, arrested. She was the spy for the Four Horsemen.

One of the warehouse workers explained, "We just moved it when you were outside."

"What?"

"I never said that!"

Dana's twitch turned into a full on grin. Oh, this was too good.

"What are you laughing at?" asked the glasses man, striding in front of Dana and shaking her by her shirt.

Her head rolling from the force, Dana managed to push up her head and say, "I don't know."

"Agent Evans!" Dana heard Rhodes cry, appalled by the rough treatment she was receiving.

"Where did you hear that?" the African American guy asked the worker, trying to ease the tension between the two agents.

"Sir, we got a phone call said Washington wants us to give the safe money."

"You didn't hear that coming out of my mouth, agent."

"What happened? Tell me what happened?" Agent Evans shouted, turning to Dana.

Dana smiled, "Haven't your mother told you how to treat women?"

Growling, Agent Evans left her and turned to the worker, "What happen? You tell me what's going on because this is BULL SHIT!"

"NOooooo!"

Dana giggled like crazy as the man blinked heavily before moving his hands back and forth like he was playing the violin. She giggled more as she saw Agent Rhodes face palm and the other agent mutter, "Jesus Christ."

In fact, it was safe to say she was downright hysterical.

"Sir, sir! What are you doing?"

"I think it's Beethoven's Concerto in D Major." Agent Rhodes sarcastically answered, earning brownie points from Dana.

Hey anyone who knows classical music just through hand motions deserved brownie points in her book.

"Where is the safe?"

"His team's loading the truck."

The two agents glanced at each other before sprinting out of the warehouse. The other armored soldiers followed after them. Dana watched them incredulously as they began running off without her. Seriously?

She could just run off if she wanted to.

But she didn't. She had to stay on the inside.

At least to get more information.

"Come on kid," said another agent, the one that had held her back before. He seemed like a nice guy, if it wasn't for the fact that he was an agent.

"Lead the way, chief," Dana said, holding her hands out complacently.

By the time Dana and her escort got out of the warehouse, a dozen of police cars were surrounding the big truck holding the safe.

"Ok. Here's what I want," said Agent Evans, causing Dana's ears to perk up. She needed information to get back to the group, so they were always one step in front of these people. She didn't doubt them one bit, but still… "At this moment, they think that safe is leaving this site. We follow it all the way to…where's it going?"

The other agent answered and Evans began again, "So we go to five points. Where the safe goes, we go. It will lead us right to them."

_Not on my watch_. Dana though before expertly pick-pocketing Rhodes' cell phone. Luckily, the agent seemed too busy and irked to notice her hand creeping into his pants….that sounded so much better in her hand.

Expertly twirling around the small keyboard in her hand Dana managed to send the following message: _Hulk knows stage. Safe unsafe. _

She paused, deciding whether to write another message. _R u ok? _

But she couldn't risk being caught. Dana wondered how long it would take for Daniel to answer but jumped in surprise as the phone vibrated.

_We know. Come home. _

Dana scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion. Come home? Did they mean that she wasn't needed here? That she should escape?

The phone vibrated again. _We have apologies to make._

What did that mean?

Before she could think further, Agent Rhodes began to move. Slipping the phone into his pocket, Dana stuck to him like glue.

The lonely agent seemed to have forgotten her. Feeling a tad bit neglected, Dana pulled on his jacket coat. "Hey, Mr. Hulk. Why so serious?"

Agent Rhodes frowned, glancing down at her, "Stop calling me that."

"What?"

"Hulk."

"Why?"

"Because I don't like it?"

"That's not a good excuse," Dana pointed out.

"That's not my name?" Rhodes tried again, looking a little bit frustrated but a tad bit amused.

"What's your name then?"

"Str—Rhodes. Just Rhodes." The agent quickly said, before turning back to the surrounding area. Seeing a police car waiting for them, he headed that direction.

Dana followed, having trouble keeping up with his long stride, "So then, Mr. Hulk Just Rhodes. Why the long face? Sad that you were demoted?"

"Who said I was demoted?"

"Well," Dana replied, acting thoughtful, "There is clearly a leadership dynamic change from you to Mr. Glasses over there. And everyone, including Miss Veela, seems to be ignoring you so I'm guessing everyone feels like you haven't been doing so good catching us magicians, yeah?"

Rhodes looked confused," What?"

Dana sighed, huffing a bit, "You are getting the cold shoulder from everyone because you suck. There, is that dumb enough for you?"

"Of course," Rhodes muttered, before fiddling with the driver's key.

"You know—"

"Why are you so talkative?" Rhodes asked, turning around frustrated. "You're best friend just died. Shouldn't you be…I don't know… angry? Or sad?"

Dana's smile dropped, a serious one taking place. "Of course I'm sad."

"Then why are you acting like this."

"Because…."Dana said, sighing a bit. "Because Jack wouldn't have wanted that. Jack wouldn't have wanted me to cry and sigh and look for revenge. And Jack…well he died for a reason, right? SHouldn't I try to live up to what he was trying to accomplish?"

Dana glanced up into Rhodes' eyes, "Isn't that what all people should do?"

Rhodes stayed silent. Unknowns to Dana, her statement hit more closer to home. Rhodes stared at the girl in silent awe. Every time he seemed to finally understand her, she did something that utterly surprised him.

"Get in the truck," he finally managed to say, earning him a eye roll. He wondered why Dana seemed suddenly so friendly to him. Maybe that was the way she handled Jack's death. Maybe it was just her way of trying to hold in the pain.

Whatever it is, it was both amusing and annoying him at the same time.

* * *

The sky was dark. And yet crowds of people were out and about the street. Dana couldn't actually see the people, considering that she was cooped up in a truck with a safe and four angry middle-aged men, but Dana couldn't help but watch all of this(symbolically of course) with proud eyes.

They were here for Jack. All of these people were here for Jack.

It just made her grin.

The police sirens rang in her eyes as they all followed the single truck toward the back of the building. All the policemen were excited, finally glad to have caught the magicians. But Dana wasn't too scared.

She trusted them after all.

And they trusted her, judging by the text message. Although, Dana did wonder why they decided to put that in there. Did it mean that they didn't trust her at first?

She would ask them directly. After all of this was over.

Maybe, she would even get to punch Daniel.

The seconds turned into minutes and Dana fidgeted. Despite what people might think, handcuffs hurt.

"Stop moving," said the man in glasses.

"But I'm uncomfortable," Dana whined a little more dramatically.

"Why don't you shut your little trap hole before I send you to prison."

It seems like her tactic: GET EVERYONE SO PISSED seemed to be working.

Dana shot Rhodes a grin, and was surprised to find him grinning in return. Well. Well then. It seems like Mr. Hulk had a funny bone after all.

Suddenly, a crackling noise interrupted whatever the agent was going to say, "Someone's walking toward the truck."

The tension increased and Dana watched with wide eyes as the door opened.

"Oh SHIT!"

It was Bradley.

At least, Bradley's assistant.

"Look who it is," Rhodes said, jumping down from the truck. "The Fifth Horsemen."

Dana was about to protest about the terminology, but decided to stay silent. It was the first time she personally met Bradley, after all.

"Are you kidding? I was following them, just like you are."

Dana tilted her head. Really, the tension between these two men were like ice. Jumping down the truck with some difficulty, she managed to squeeze in between the agents and stand by Agent Rhodes' side.

"I'm ahead of you now!"

Dana opened her mouth just as Bradley mentioned, "Lionel Strike. This is where he did his first show."

Strike. Strike. That name sounded familiar. Rhodes mentioned him before.

Wait. Could it be?

"And well look who it is?" Bradley said, glancing at Dana with a grin. "If you want to look like bigger idiots, why don't you take a look in that safe. I'm sure this little girl forgot to tell you a little secret."

Secret? What secret?

"Open the safe," Rhodes said before Dana had the time to retort. Dana slowly turned around, but not before slipping a small piece of plastic that she had kept inside her bra since Las Vegas into Bradley's pocket.

She had a job to do, after all.

Dana watched as the safe was opened. A string of brightly colored scarves came down and Dana started smiling widely.

God, they were good.

Magic, for once, was _cool_.

"Was is this?" Agent Evans asked, just as a ticking noise came from the safe.

Dana stepped forward in curiosity but was blocked by Agent Rhodes, who for once, looked paranoid, "Get back!"

Before everyone could evacuate the door to the safe opened up and thousands of balloon animals came showering down the group. Dana laughed out loud and ran toward the safe before twirling in the plastic rain.

"What? Get her!"

"Well this has been fun," Dana said loudly, projecting her voice. "But really I have to get going now. It was fun being with you. "

"GET HER!"

And Dana promptly vanished into thin air.


	12. Reunited

**WE REACHED 100 REVIEWS! Thank you so much you guys for the dedication and thoughts you gave to this fiction. This is the first time that my story was popular and I'm very grateful to all those who commented, followed and favorited this story. This was going to be my last fic and I was going to retire from fanfic writing, but you guys gave me a reason to start writing again. I'm actually starting a Supernatural fic right now :) **

**Thanks again to all you! You rock. Seriously.**

**If you want to talk, follow me on my personal fandom tumblr: missingordinary and I'll be glad to have a chat.**

** Disclaimer as before.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 12: Reunited_

* * *

Jack pushed himself out of a black vehicle, and ran quickly into the warehouse. He could hear angry FBI agents screaming, the sounds echoing through the corridors. Jack paused, hiding behind a corner as a crowd of FBI agents ran past him, shouting into their walkie-talkies to stop a truck. Jack smirked and watched them go past him.

It seemed that they found the empty room where the safe used to be.

Or rather a seemingly empty room.

Seeing that no one was around, Jack straighten up and proceeded to walk down to the warehouse rooms when he heard another pair of footsteps.

"Come on kid."

Cursing, Jack slipped behind the door just as he heard another person sarcastically remark, "Lead the way, chief."

Jack's breath stopped as he recognized the voice. _Dana._ Jack didn't dare lift his head or even move to see his friend's face, but he could recognize her voice anywhere.

"You know," said the agent, "you're pretty complacent for a girl who is going sent to the bin."

"Well," Dana said, and Jack could just feel the sarcastic shrug, "Might as well make use of what I've got."

Jack stayed silent, although his mind was in shambles. Why was she acting like this? Was she truly a spy as the others said they were?

Did she really betray him?

"Yeah?" the agent asked, "And what is that?"

Suddenly the footsteps stopped.

After a brief pause, a strangled voice rang out,"God. I hope this works."

"What are you ta-WHAT THE HE-_mmmph_!"

Sounds of pain echoed through the corridors. Jack heard a sharp slap and a cry from Dana before another _twang _of a piece of metal hitting bone.

"Shhhhhshshsh!" he heard Dana whisper before breathing harshly, "Listen here you little _shit_. I've really had enough of everyone's crap, so if I were _you _I would shut up. From now on, whatever I order you will do with upmost obedience. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Good. After we head out of the warehouse, you are going to enter the truck when no one is looking. There, you will cut out a two feet by two feet square into the truck's floor with this," Jack heard Dana say before noisily slapping an item into the agent's hand. "It must be exactly those measurements. DO NOT cut through the floor. I should be able to stand on it without it giving out? Understand?"

"Yes."

"Make sure that no one sees you. Once everyone enters the truck, make sure that no one steps onto the square except me. You will forget this conversation happened. God, I hope this works. I really don't know what would happen if this doesn't work. Please, please!"

Suddenly there was a loud snapping sound and the agent said, "Yeah? And what is that?"

Jack heard Dana say, her voice struggling to remain calm, "Well I got a very nice gentlemen escorting me. How much more do I need?"

"Funny. Let's get out of here."

"Fine by me."

Jack watched as Dana was lead away by the agent. He was worried. That voice didn't sound like Dana. Not. At. All.

He peeked behind the door and saw her silently slip a hand inside the man's pocket and bring out a key. Jack couldn't help but grin widely as she carefully fisted her hand._ Now that felt more like what she would do._

Jack watched her go before fishing out his phone and texting Daniel.

_Sidekick is back in business._

* * *

Dana winced as she hit her head against the floor of the truck. She was lying down in the cobblestone underneath the truck. She could see the feet of the agents surrounding the vehicle, running around panicking. _I could do this. Got to keep it together._

She probably had about fifteen seconds before they realized she hadn't really disappeared.

Dana rolled to her left, just as she heard footsteps jump up the truck. Crouching down, she quickly made her way up the truck's front and straightened out right in between the driver's seat and the truck's container just as the agents began to yell out, "There's nothing here!"

Dana did manage to replace the top just as she jumped down with all her might. It was an almost impossible feat for magicians, but not so impossible for girls who had to stuff themselves into little tiny boxes. Henley taught her a thing or two before the whole scheme started.

That was ages ago. Its seemed ages since she was last with her friends. All of them.

Dana held in a gasp.

It was only a few hours since Jack died.

Dana let out a shuddering breath as she desperately tried to keep herself together. She couldn't afford to lose control. She managed to get this far. She managed to get this far without completely breaking down. She couldn't afford to lose control when there were enemies all around her, all trying to break her.

It's what Jack would have wanted. Finish it. To finish this.

She was just glad that Merritt taught her a little about hypnosis and how to do it. She wasn't sure if it would work, but she was glad it did.

She had approximately twenty seconds before one of the men stepped onto the square and fell down to the ground.

Dana checked the area before quickly jumping to the side of the driver's seat. Thankfully, every agent swarmed at the end of the truck, too stupid to check any other parts of the truck immediately. She had trouble holding her balance, since her hands still cuffed. Still, Dana used this time to quickly jump off the truck and run as quickly as she could to one of the alley ways, using the darkness as a cover.

Letting out a breath, Dana ran up to the large door that led to the inside of the building just as she heard a pained yell from one of the agents.

They've found the square.

Dana ran inside, just in time to blend in with another crowd of people all eager to run up the gigantic spiral of stairs to the roof of the building, where the last finale was about to take place. Dana fumbled with her cuffs, using the key she swiped from her guard, before they easily came off. Kicking it toward the ground, Dana stretched her hands, popping her knuckles in satisfaction. Dana reached into her pocket and picked up the smart phone she had swiped from the poor agent she hypnotized. Once doing so, she easily got passed the serenity code (today's date) and opened up to google maps.

"Sorry," she said, as she bumped into another fan.

Dana quickly moved down stairs, toward the parking lot. She barely had enough time.

Dana had a job to do, after all. Even if things weren't actually going to plan, Dana knew what to do. Sort of.

She was going with the flow.

The blinking light on her stolen phone indicated where Bradley was. She was glad that he hadn't found the tracking device she had slipped into his pocket. He was far away, still at the scene of the crime. Sighing in relief, Dana kicked open the door for the parking lot and quickly began looking for a truck.

Crying in relief that _that_ part of the plan didn't change, Dana yelled out, "Guys!" just as two people exited the truck.

The guy's faces hardened in horror before relaxing, "Dana!"

"Hey! Jim! And…um I don't know your name" she said, smiling at the two stage techs, "Have the goods?"

"I'm John," the other man Dana didn't know answered.

"Yup!" they said, giving her a big hug, "I thought you were arrested?"

"What can I say?" she said, grinning, "You can't keep me locked up for good! I'm here to do my job!"

"Good for you," Jim said, "But I don't really get why you guys asked for more lights. I mean, you already have a lot up there!"

Dana laughed, "Right! Well...yes...lights are very important and all. All of them are in the truck right?"

"Yup!" he said, before smiling. "I have to get home, will you be good with getting them up there?"

"I'll be fine," she said, shooing the guys away, "Go home and get some rest! I'll see yah when I can, you hear?"

"Bye Dana!" the two guys said, before jogging to the door she just came through.

Dana's smile faded as she quickly pulled herself up the truck. She opened the door.

And found millions of dollars stacked up high, glowing in the night sky.

Next to the stacks of money was a single cell phone.

Bradley's cell phone to be exact.

The one that Dana had swiped back at Las Vegas.

_Thank goodness_. Dana thought before picking up the cell phone. Inside was a built in remote control for Bradley's car, who was, to their advantage, too lazy to get a regular key like everyone else. She had come up with this ingenious tactic back when she was supervising Las Vegas, a few months before the show. She had wanted to see Bradley up close and personal and found to her delight what kind of car he owned, the license plate and his cool and original way of getting into that said car.

Dana closed the truck's door and raced to the driver's seat before quickly starting the engine. She had a truck's worth of stolen millions of dollars in her possession.

And she knew just where to put it.

* * *

The three Horsemen ran across the building's roof, dodging the helicopter lights flickering above them. They were exhilarated from the finale and excited at the prospect that it was over.

There was now only one thing left to do.

"After you," Merritt said gesturing to Henley. Henley thanked him and carefully climbed down the stairs of the roof and into a dusty back alley. Daniel, who went first, helped her off the ladder and into his arms before settling her down on the ground.

"I still think you lost weight."

"I still think you're a dick," Henley fired back, her words holding no venom. "I'm just glad that it is over."

"Me too, partner," Merritt said, jumping down the ladder. "I'm just glad that no one has spotted us yet."

"Don't jinx it, Merritt," Henley said, giggling. "It's time to get out of here!"

The three horsemen turned to leave just as a voice yelled out, "FREEZE!"

The three froze, not quite believing what happened. They were finished! It was over! All they had to do was collect another individual and meet their boss. They could finally understand the secrets of "The Eye."

They couldn't believe it!

"Thought you could just run, didn't you?" said the voice.

"Er...we surrender?" Daniel asked calmly, keeping his hands out. In his mind however, strenuous activity of occurring, as he tried desperately to find a way out. He did feel bad about leaving the others, but he was Daniel Atlas.

He only looked out for himself.

And maybe his little girl. Dana. He could probably lay low for a while before busting Dana out and running off to South Korea.

He heard it was very pretty this time of year.

"You think you're so special, but you're not." the voice said.

The three horsemen stared at each other, not knowing what to do. They were trapped.

They were so close to.

"But seriously," Dana said, appearing out of the shadows. "Did you really think you could leave without me?"

"Dana?" the three asked simultaneously.

"Yup?" she said, grinning widely. "Fooled yah!"

Henley squealed loudly before running up and hugging her tightly, "Dana!"

"Hey hey! Missed you too!" Dana said, loudly, hugging her friend back. "Nice to know that the finale went well! Saw you guys jump from the building. Nearly gave me a heart attack."

"We had to improvise," Daniel said, once getting over the shock. He wondered if the South Korea plans were still valid.

"Come here, Atlas," Dana said, releasing Henley and opening her arms. "Give me a hug too!"

Daniel rolled his eyes but he stepped into Dana's arms and hugged her, "I'm glad you're ok."

"Me too," she replied before turning to Merritt.

"Hey cupcake."

"Merritt," Dana smiled before hugging the big man as well. "Nice to be back."

The four stared at each other and grinned, glad to be reunited again. It was only a couple of hours apart, but it felt like whole days to the group.

"How are you faring?" Dana asked slowly looking at her friends. "With Jack gone…"

The three exchanged a look, "Well…"

"I mean," Dana said, sighing loudly and looking up into the night sky, "It's only been a couple of hours. I still think it's some dream, you know? I mean, I'm going to wake up tomorrow and we'll all be back at the apartment. It's just…I haven't fully adjusted to it yet."

"Dana…"

"I just escaped the god damn FBI!" Dana shouted, glancing at them, "Who can say that? And during that whole time I couldn't stop to think about Jack. I couldn't mourn him. While you guys created a performance in his name, I was too busy trying to save my life to even think about him. My best friend. Was that _wrong?"_

"Dana…"

Suddenly a large beam of light lit up the alleyway, causing the four to skitter to the walls to get out of sight.

Dana said, taking a huge breath and smiling fakely, "Well now that the reunion is taken care of, how about we get out of here before the _real_ cops get us, yeah?"

"Good idea," Henley said.

"Right," Dana said, brushing the dirt from her hands. "To the park?"

The others looked at each other.

"What?"

After much nudging and glares, it was Daniel that stepped forward, "Look, Dana? We have something to show you first."

"What?" Dana asked confused.

Daniel winced, "Follow me."


	13. Unexpected Sidekick

**Thank you once again for all your support. I couldn't have written this without you guys!**

** Disclaimer as before.**

* * *

_Unexpected Sidekick_

_Chapter 13: Unexpected Sidekick_

* * *

Rhodes chuckled to himself as he entered his own car. After that fiasco up on the rooftop, Rhodes felt very amused and relaxed for the first time in a while. They had done it, the Four Horsemen, and Rhodes was finally one step closer to getting the revenge he always wanted.

There was a small problem though. Rhodes had initially instructed Henley to go in the opposite direction of the others, to quickly transfer the safe money into Bradley's bank account. But just as Rhodes came down from the roof along with other exasperated police officers, he saw the three magicians head down to an alleyway across the street. Henley included.

Rhodes wondered if they would do what he told them or if he had to do it himself. The Horsemen, after New Orleans, were not following the plan. Jack was dead and that threw everything off. Rhodes felt a deep sadness overcome him.

He didn't want the kid dead.

But the magicians kept fighting, creating new techniques to even throw him off. It was refreshing to see them in action, to actually be confused and awed by the tricks in front of him.

Rhodes wondered how Dana was doing.

Rhodes started his ignition, preparing to head back to headquarters. Just as he was pulling out of the parking lot, he saw a postitnote on his window.

_Thought you might want the money back! I had fun. Check behind you. –D_

Rhodes turned around, confused at the note, just in time to see Bradley enter the parking lot. The man sauntered up to his car, as if he had all the care in the world, and unlocked his vehicle.

Only to find it packed with hundreds and thousands of bills.

Laughing out loudly, Rhodes quickly reached for his walkie-talkie, informing the other agents of what just occurred. Rhodes grinned widely to himself, watching the bewildered doe-in-the-headlights look the older man gave as a Calvary of police cars entered the parking lot, sirens ablaze.

He really like that kid.

* * *

"Um…guys," Dana said, slowly stepping forward, stumbling a bit in the darkness. "Why are we at…" Dana squinted to read the sign, "A…graveyard?"

Daniel winced again, "Well you see…" he turned to the others for help only to see Merritt and Henley busy trying to open the lock on the gate.

"It's locked!"

Dana stepped forward again, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. She opened her mouth to ask, only to hear a sound that she thought she would never hear again.

"Nothing is ever locked."

Dana stared. She stared and honestly, she couldn't do anything else but stare. There was a ringing sound in her ears, her throat became dry and she couldn't do anything but stare.

"Hey, Dana," Jack said, opening the doors to the graveyard.

Finally Dana managed to say, "J-jack?"

"The one and only."

Dana shook her head," I'm hallucinating."

"S-surprise?" Daniel said weakly.

Dana took a stumbling step forward, as if she was afraid that moving would cause Jack to disappear. Seeing that Jack was still there, visible, and _alive, _Dana ran head first into Jack's arms.

"JACK!"

Dana wrapped her arms around her friend tight, not really believing what was happening. She quickly pulled away and brought her hands to Jack's face, touching it, "It's you! It's really you! You're alive!"

"Yeah," Jack breathed, looking into Dana's eyes, "Look, I'm sorry that—"

Jack stumbled when he felt a pair of soft lips against his. His eyes widened as Dana kissed him with all her might, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Jack automatically closed his eyes and kissed back, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. Jack sighed in contentment; he didn't realize how much he wanted this.

It was wonderful.

A loud cough broke them out of their embrace. Dana pulled back, a blush staining her cheeks.

"Congratulations!" Daniel said, smiling in relief. He was glad that Dana wasn't mad and read to kill him, "Although I would like to say that—"

Daniel couldn't get another word in as he was suddenly punched in the face by one angry assistant, "You ass!"

"Dana!" Jack shouted in astonishment, trying to pull back his _friend…lover…girlfriend?_ from Daniel.

"I. THOUGHT. HE. WAS. DEAD!" Dana emphasized, pushing Daniel to the ground and punching him hard with each punctuation.

"I wasn't the only one!" Daniel immediately shouted before pointing at Merritt and Henley, who were trying to look innocent, "They agreed to the plan."

"WHICH is WHAT exactly?" Dana asked, angrily glaring at the other two.

"We needed the FBI out of our trail," Henley said, raising her hands in submission.

"And when did you think was a good time to—I don't know—tell me?" Dana asked, her chest heaving and her eyes ablaze.

"Cupcake—"

"Don't you cupcake me, mister!" Dana said, pointing an accusing finger at Merritt. "Do you have any idea what I went through? What guilt? I thought—I thought it was MY FAULT!" Dana broke down crying onto the cold ground of the graveyard, covering her face as tears escaped her eyes.

Dana angrily wiped her tears, and stared longingly at Jack, "I—I thought I lost you."

Jack didn't know what to say, "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Dana said, turning toward the three other Horsemen, "They on the other hand…"

"It wasn't their fault," Jack tried to say, trying to take all the blame. "I wanted to—"

"No."

Dana and the others glanced at Daniel, who slowly stood up, cringing and wincing at the bruises forming on his cheeks, "It is my fault. I—I made a mistake, Dana. I didn't trust you, even though you were with us all this time. It was a bad judgment on my part. I…" Daniel took a deep breath, struggling to piece the words together, "I made a mistake."

Dana drew in a deep breath. Daniel never admitted to his mistakes. Never. "I—" she sighed as she glanced at her group, her team.

She really couldn't stay angry at them for long.

Dana sighed again, "I forgive you…but if you EVER pull something like this again, I will KILL each and everyone of you."

"Understood," the three Horsemen nodded frantically.

"And you too!" Dana said, wagging a finger at Jack. "Don't think that just because I love you-_mmph_!"

Jack wrapped his arms around Dana's waist and pulled her lips against his as soon as he heard those words. Dana fell apart instantly, melting into his embrace.

Jack pulled away first but immediately moved his lips next to Dana's ear, "I feel the same…"

"Good," she whispered, before bringing Jack's mouth against her for the third time.

The two teenagers kissed underneath the lights of the graveyard. The other three Horsemen glanced at the pair, amused. Daniel looked grumpy as he searched his pockets before handing a twenty into Merritt's waiting hand.

"Thank you," he said, pocketing the bet.

"They couldn't wait for just _one _more day," Daniel grumbled, crossing his arms.

"One day? I betted three months from now!" Henley complained, copying his actions.

Merritt shook his head, "Oh take a leaf out of their book and get a room."

"What is that supposed to mean!"

* * *

Dana and Jack held hands tightly as they found the stump the Four horsemen were looking for. One by one, each magician brought out the cards that started it all. The shows. Their new friendship. And their new future lives.

The four cards entered the pile, one by one, until the final card, 'Death' landed, causing a suddenly burst of music to play. The five recruits glanced up at the carousel that suddenly started to move.

"Come on!" Daniel said, rushing over to the carousel. Henley and Merritt soon followed.

"Ready to go?" Jack asked, squeezing Dana's hand tightly.

"Always," she said, before they too ran toward the carousel.

The five recruits stepped forward, awed and mystified, scared and excited, and saw a figure form beneath the shadows.

Rhodes.

"Oh my god."

"I did not see that coming."

"That's impossible!"

Dana said nothing.

"That was actually..uh," Daniel said, looking stumped, "Pretty good."

"Thank you," Rhodes said, glancing at each individual before falling on Dana.

"When I said, always be the smartest guy in the room…"

"We were in an agreement," Rhodes said, calmly. "Henley…"

Henley was shocked beyond belief.

"I'd never seen her speechless."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Rhodes said, reaching over to shake her hand.

"And…I-I-I'm so sorry…for kicking you ass," Jack remarked, causing Rhodes to grin. Dana merely grinned as well.

"You're in," Rhodes said just as Merritt said, "God bless."

"Come," Rhodes said, leading the four up to the carousel steps. "The real magic…"

"Come on Dana," Jack said as Rhodes spoke, giving his hand out for Dana to hold. Dana glanced at his hand and back at Jack's face, biting her lips. "What's wrong?"

Dana smiled widely, "Nothing," she took a step back, away from the steps so that her feet were firmly placed on the ground, "It's just this is where I leave you guys."

"What?" Jack asked, confused, "I don't understand."

"Dana! We get to finally learn real magic! Why would you give up an opportunity like this?" Daniel asked in confusion.

Dana just shrugged, but her eyes were fixed on Rhodes. She smiled again before turning back to the others, "I just don't like magic, you see."

"You only have this one shot," Rhodes warned.

"I know," Dana said, before stepping back one more step. "See you guys on the other side."

Jack took a step forward toward Dana, but saw her encouraging grin. Nodding, Jack returned to his fellow Horsemen.

"Welcome to the eye."

* * *

Dana sighed, watching her breath float across the night sky. The stars looked pretty tonight of all nights, as if there was a certain magic in the air.

The park was filled with noises. She could hear the soft leaves rub against each other, the crickets sounding mating calls, and the sighs of the squirrels and birds sleeping in their homes.

"May I sit here?"

Dana lifted her head and grinned, "Hello Mr. Shrike."

"You can call me Rhodes," the FBI agent said, taking a set on the steps of the carousel.

"Ok, Rhodes," Dana said, before sighing once more.

The two sat in silence, just feeling the park and the solitude after many weeks of chasing each other and playing mind games back and forth.

"You know," Dana said, "I really didn't think it was you until only a couple of hours ago."

"Really?' Rhodes asked, "Not even when I tried to read your mind back at New Orleans?"

Dana shook her head, "I really didn't think about it. But I guess it makes sense…"

"You surprise me, Miss Zancig."

"You can call me Dana," Dana said, "And why am I so surprising?"

"I was sure that you would have agreed to come along with your friends to train."

"So are they going to start training?"

"They are being initiated as we speak," Rhodes said, before fiddling with a piece of fallen tree branch. "So why? Why did you stay behind?"

"It's simple really," Dana said, shrugging, "I just don't like magic."

"Even after all that's happened?" Rhodes asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Well…" Dana said, "I can't say that my view on magic didn't change since this whole thing. But…I'm just not ready to go to the Eye."

"I understand," Rhodes said. He watched the girl from the corner of his eye, and when he saw Dana shiver, Rhodes pulled off his own jacket and placed it around her shoulders.

"Thanks," Dana said, pulling the jacket closer.

"What are you going to do now?" Rhodes asked, staring up into the sky.

Dana sighed, "I don't know. Probably go back to New York. Lay-low for a while."

"So you don't have anything planned," Rhodes asked, hinting something more.

Dana glanced at him, "Yup. You?"

"I'm planning on visiting an old friend," Rhodes said, standing up. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged, "It would be nice to have some backup."

Dana grinned, "Who would do such a thing?" but she was already standing up as well.

Rhodes's lips twitched in amusement, "I can teach you a few things, if you would like. Magic isn't all about secret spells and potions, you know."

Dana nodded in a mock seriousness, "Can you teleport?"

"Only the most respectable magicians can," Rhodes whispered, before turning his back on Dana. He walked slowly waiting for the pitter patter of footsteps behind him.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long.

The two persons, one powerful magician and one trainee, strolled together, their backs facing the old broken down carousel. If an outsider had seen these two, they would have thought it unusual to see the younger more energetic girl accompany the older, more serious and gruff man. And yet they would have agreed that there was something magical about the way they smiled at each other; as if they both honed secrets that they only knew.

"You know I was just kidding about the teleporting thing," Dana's voice rang.

"I wasn't."

Dana stopped abruptly, her face turning into one of awe, "Wait. What? You can do that?"

"Yup."

"Cool!" Dana said, "You need to teach me that!"

"I thought you said you didn't like magic," Rhodes teased.

Dana complained, explaining how teleporting was not magic at all but a form of science. As she babbled Rhodes couldn't help but smile.

He had no idea what the future instilled. He had spent all his life preparing for this moment that once he was here, he had no idea what to prepare for.

Who would have thought he would have an unexpected sidekick?


End file.
